NEWS
15 June 2021
Court annuls SGA fine and rules in favour of Betsson Group
By Gambling Insider

According to the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA), a Betsson AB subsidiary was said to have violated the Swedish Gambling Act.

The original case occurred last year in June after the SGA claimed the subsidiary had violated chapter 11, section 2 of the Swedish Gambling Act. 

It claims that Betsson Nordic violated bonus regulations by offering illegal bonuses, and also that it failed to register agents who sold gambling vouchers.

The SGA issued a warning as well as fining the company SEK 20 million ($2.4m); the fee was chosen based on the number of violations.

Betsson immediately decided to appeal the ruling as it said that the “sanction came as a surprise. Betsson AB CEO Pontus Lindwall spoke exclusively to Gambling Insider about the fine at the time.

Betsson felt it was operating within the letter of the law and that its subsidiary did not offer any illegal incentives.

After a year of proceedings, the administrative court in Sweden has agreed, stating the SGA cannot enforce its fine.

The court said the regulator “lacks legal grounds for its decision in both cases.”

Upon Betsson’s successful appeal, both rulings have now been overturned. However, the SGA is free to overrule the judge to the Court of Appeal.