Sweden’s gambling industry officials will have to testify before Parliament on its efforts to curb aggressive gambling advertisements or it could face a tightening of the country’s gambling act to include a ban on certain gambling ads.
Representatives of the industry are being called to testify before Parliament by Sweden’s Minister of Public Administration Ardalan Shekarabi.
“The Swedish people are tired of the extremely aggressive marketing, the unrestrained advertising,” the minister told Swedish television. “If the industry is unable to take responsibility and observe moderation in advertising for gambling, then I will not hesitate to progress with harsher, mandatory measures.”
Sweden has just enacted a new gambling act to regulate the industry that requires all gambling companies operating in Sweden be licensed and that they must ensure gambling advertisements are restrained.
The act also prohibits gambling companies from direct marketing to individuals who have self-excluded themselves from gambling. An estimated 20,000 people in Sweden have self-selected to be barred from access to online sites, but Shekarabi said not all companies are complying with the rules.
The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling, which represents 19 of the country’s 69 licensed gambling operators, said it welcomes better enforcement of the rules.
“We welcome the harsh measures, because right now, unfortunately, there are reverse incentives. The more careful you are as a gambling company, the more market shares you lose,” BOS General Secretary Gustaf Hoffstedt told SVT. “We just got statistics from last year, which show that of Sweden’s 20 largest ad buyers, six are gambling companies, so there is far too much gambling advertising, there is no doubt about it.”
According to the Swedish government, licensed gambling companies invest up to 45 percent of their revenues in marketing.
In another matter, Sweden’s gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has awarded online gaming licenses to Bell Casino, FT Diva Casino and Premiergaming.
Premiergaming has been awarded a license to offer online gambling and betting services which will cover its Prontocasino.com, Prontocasino.se, Premierlivecasino.com, Premierlivecasino.se, Prontobingo.com, Prontobingo.se, Prontoodds.com and Prontoodds.se websites.
Spelinspektionen has also issued a license to FT Diva Casino covering land-based commercial casino games in the country and to Bell Casino to offer gaming services on ships.
Sweden has now licensed 69 operators in the Swedish regulated market.
