Svenska Spel, the only online gaming venue in Sweden, has switched up its marketing tactics to promote responsible gaming. While critics accuse the online gaming monopoly of trying to dodge European Commission sanctions, Svenska Spel has gone beyond Commission expectations.
First, Svenska did away with promotions and bonuses geared to coerce players. Second, the company reached out to the Lund University Faculty of Medicine to examine problem gambling. Zenita Standanger, who heads up Svenska’s social responsibility division, told PokerNews the company promotes “the prevention of problem gambling.
“We do that by offering different gaming tools – we are restrictive in our marketing of certain games that are considered problematic from a gaming responsibility perspective. We use education and information to explain the risks of gambling, and we support research,” Standanger said.
Reports indicated Svenska was on the commission’s radar because it was monopolizing the online gaming industry in Sweden.
For Svenska, its responsible gaming policy reduced the amount of advertising costs needed to entice players.
Online gaming in general is showing a decline. Over the past year, Svenska Spel’s profits dropped by 6.2 percent, or about US$30,000. Still, Svenska is showing a profit of US$182,090.
