Spelinspektionen proposes new regulations for Spelpaus
The Swedish Gambling Authority has begun a consultation on potential changes to regulation regarding self-exclusion tool, Spelpaus.
Key points:
– The changes relate to more stringent identification obligations for licencees
– Proposals add more opportunities for operators to notice that players should be suspended
– Investigations have shown current regulations to be ineffective
Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority, has asked for comments on potential new regulations that would seek to strengthen Sweden’s self-exclusion tool, Spelpause.
Central to the proposal are alterations to how gambling licensees in the country use specific connection credentials for individual players such as Actor IDs and API keys.
The changes would mean that operators who are registering players will have to use more rigorous checks using these IDs and keys to be certain that they are not on the self-exclusion register.
They would also have to verify the player using the API that corresponds with the action that the operator is carrying out, whether that’s registration, logging in and marketing.
This adds more opportunities during the customer journey for the operator to recognise if a player should be excluded.
It would also stop that excluded player from receiving direct marketing while they are registered on Spelpaus.
Good to know: These documents are signed off by Camilla Rosenberg, who has since departed the regulator for a role in the Swedish Ministry of Finance
This proposal more clearly defines the exact detail of checks, whereas previously they were more vague, merely saying that some checks had to be made.
Investigations revealed that some licensees were using limited information to check against Spelpaus and some not at all, meaning some players who had suspended themselves with the tool would not find it effective.
The Swedish Gambling Authority recognises that changes would have costs for licensees, though it deems that those costs would not “be burdensome for the licensees.”
The proposal suggests that the changes would come into force on 1 August 2026, though the request for comments asks that all submissions be entered before 24 September 2024.
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