According to Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s gambling regulator, Zecure offered betting on football matches between youth teams.
Under Swedish regulations, operators are not permitted to offer wagering on contests where most participants are younger than 18 years old.
Consequently, Spelinspektionen determined that Zecure had violated the terms of its licence; issuing a warning and ordering it to pay SEK 3.5m.
“The provision of betting on matches or competitions where the predominant proportion of players is under 18 years of age is a direct danger that risks minors being exposed to manipulating the results of a match or competition,” stated Spelinspektionen.
It added: “It is clear in this case that Zecure Gaming has offered betting where the majority of players were under 18 when the match was played.”
However, Zecure lodged an appeal that saw its fine reduced to SEK 3m, though the Administrative Court agreed it had violated Swedish regulations by offering and accepting bets on minors.
Zecure appealed once more, but was even less fortunate a second time around. The Court of Appeal upheld the Administrative Court’s decision, including the SEK 3m penalty.
“The Court of Appeal finds no reason to question the sanction fee established by the Administrative Court and therefore assesses that the fee should be set at SEK 3m,” wrote Spelinspektionen.
A final attempt was made, but the Supreme Administrative Court did not even grant Zecure leave to appeal. As a result, the Court of Appeal’s judgement is upheld and Zecure will have to pay SEK 3m.
