Swedish regulator finds Svenska Spel TV segment breaches ad rules

The broadcast regulator has upheld a complaint that the TV segment counts as gambling advertising.

Sweden.- The Swedish broadcasting regulator has upheld a complaint against Svenska Spel’s gaming segment on Sweden’s TV4. The regulator found that the segment was effective gambling advertising and thus breached the law by not including consumer protections.

The Swedish online gambling trade association Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (BOS) had filed a complaint with the regulator about the segment on the free-to-air channel. The recurring broadcast would see guests play Svenska Spel keno and scratchcard products, which it said should be considered gambling advertising.

The regulator has agreed, noting that Svenska Spel had violated the law by not offering any consumer protection. It said that TV4 would be liable to a fine for the broadcasts.

BOS secretary general Gustaf Hoffstedt welcomed the decision. He said: “Today’s decision is a victory for thousands of Swedes who want to engage with the gambling market in a safe and regulated manner.

“There should be no confusion about what constitutes gambling advertising or special schemes that circumvent the statutory disclosure requirement for the 18+ age limit or information about the national problem gambling helpline. We are pleased that the Swedish Press and Broadcasting Authority has reached the same conclusion.

“The decision by the Authority will help level the playing field in Sweden’s gambling market. By claiming that the keno and scratch card segments did not constitute advertising, Svenska Spel was able to promote its monopoly products outside of regular advertising spots, gaining an unfair advantage over its competitors.”

BOS has repeatedly called for Svenska Spel to be broken up, and it’s pushing for the government to call time on the state-controlled gambling operator this year. Last month, Hoffstedt wrote an op-ed for Sweden’s most important newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, in which he argued that Svenska Spel does not have the remit to offer commercial gambling (sports betting and online casino gaming) in addition to its lottery operations.

Swedish gaming operators have long been pushing for a breakup of the state-controlled former gambling monopoly to no avail. However, the new coalition government is now controlled by the Moderates and the Democrats. Before the General Election last year, the Moderate Party had suggested that it would look to sell Svenska Spel if it entered power. 

The new minister in charge of gambling policy is Niklas Wykman in his role as minister for financial markets in Sweden’s new governing coalition. Wykman’s position marks a change in structure. Previously, minister for social affairs Ardalan Shekerabi was responsible for gambling. Putting the sector in Wykman’s purview is in keeping with the structure used by the previous Moderata-led government between 2006 and 2014.