Svenska Spel has addressed the SEK 2 million ($194,777) fine imposed by the Swedish Gaming Authority, attributing the violation to an administrative misunderstanding regarding new regulations for slot machine relocation.
The company acknowledged the error and has since updated its procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.
The fine stems from Svenska Spel’s failure to correctly notify authorities about the relocation of cash machines at two bingo halls.
Under regulations introduced on 1 July 2023, slot machine relocations require notification of the new gaming location, followed by testing. Svenska Spel, however, mistakenly believed that reporting the address change to the registrar was sufficient.
Thomas Engström, Operations Sales Manager for Svenska Spel’s Vegas division, stated: "We regret what has happened. Our intention was to do the right thing, but due to an administrative misunderstanding, it went wrong. It won’t happen again."
As a result of the oversight, the machines in question operated outside the scope of Svenska Spel’s licence after its relocation in July and September 2023.
The Swedish Gaming Authority also determined that the new venues were unsuitable for slot machine operations, adding further complexity to the case.
In response to the ruling, Svenska Spel has removed the machines from the bingo halls and revised its internal procedures to ensure compliance with the updated regulations.
The fine comes at a challenging time for Svenska Spel, which recently reported a 19% drop in profits for the first half of 2024. This decline has been attributed to various factors, including the closure of two Casino Cosmopol venues and associated reorganization costs. Despite these setbacks, Svenska Spel’s online and Tur segments experienced growth during the period.
