LeoVegas Swedish license limit overturned
The decision to limit LeoVegas’ Swedish license to a two-year period has been overturned by the Administrative Court in Linköping, extending the operator’s license to the maximum five years.
The Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) limited LeoVegas’ license because the operator was previously sanctioned for committing violations abroad.
This referred to a £600,000 ($732,400) fine imposed on LeoVegas last year by the Gambling Commission in Britain, as a result of “failings related to misleading advertising and the handling of customers at the end of their self-exclusion period.”
LeoVegas argued the SGA’s decision was unjust because the fine was the result of a “computer software error” that was “rectified as soon as it came to the company’s knowledge.”
The court ultimately concluded the more serious violations, committed in 2016, were too historic to be applicable and overturned the SGA’s ruling.
The SGA is considering appealing the judgement.
LeoVegas’ revenue increased 8% year-on-year for Q2 2019 to €94.4m ($103.4m). LeoVegas CEO Gustaf Hagman attributed this in part to the Swedish market providing the operator with “a new base to grow from.”
When contacted by Gambling Insider, Vala Karimi, General Counsel LeoVegas, said: “A regulated market has more extensive requirements in relation to responsible gaming with a strong consumer protection focus.
“LeoVegas welcomed the regulation even before its introduction and sees the decision of the Administrative Court as very positive and it gives us an opportunity to continue to focus on compliance.”
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