Swedish gambling regulator names Claes Norgren as chairman

The regulator is to weigh up potential new powers to access data on gambling accounts.

Sweden.- The Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has named Claes Norgren as its new chairman. Norgren was previously head of the Swedish government’s Financial Supervisory Authority and deputy governor of Sweden’s Central Bank, Riksbank.  

Meanwhile, Therese Mattsson, former director general of Sweden’s Coast Guard, has been named as a member of the Spelinspektionen board. 

Potential new powers to access gambling account data

The Swedish regulator has also revealed that it will review whether it thinks it needs powers to access information on gambling accounts. The evaluation forms part of a government-mandated review of the risks of gambling accounts being used in money laundering.

It will report on whether it believes that gambling accounts should be included in Sweden’s new Account and Safe Deposit Box system, which grants authorities easier access to information on the identities of the holders of bank accounts and safes.

Overseen by the Swedish Tax Agency, the new system allows authorities to request details about accounts and safe deposit boxes. Spelinspektionen will consider whether it should have similar access to data on gambling account holders as well as other measures to strengthen regulations against the risk of money laundering. It will deliver a report on the matter by May 31.

In January, Spelinspektionen issued its first bans of the new year, continuing its enforcement policy against unlicensed gambling operators. It issued bans against True Polygon Entertainment Limited and Smein Hosting NV, accusing them of allowing Swedish players to gamble on their main sites and affiliate websites without a local licence.

Polygon Entertainment Limited, registered in Cyprus, runs CSGOBIG, while Curaçao-based Smein operates Gamdom.eu and Gamdom.com. It said that in both cases the operators did not prevent the creation of accounts from Sweden. It said they may respond if they wish to dispute the ban.