ATG hit with SEK2m Swedish Gambling Authority fine over self-exclusion failures
Sweden-headquartered horseracing and sports betting operator accepts censure after admitting self-exclusion failures over a 14-day period
ATG (AB Trav och Galopp) has been slapped with a warning and SEK2m (£160,468) fine by the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) after admitting violating regulations relating to self-exclusion and access to the national Spelpaus system.
In February, ATG came forward and admitted to the regulator that its self-exclusion feature was not visible to players who logged in via a mobile bank ID when using the platform between 13-28 January.
The operator explained this error as a technical fault that occurred following an update to the system during the period.
ATG found the glitch on 27 January and the issue was resolved within 24 hours, but it would later confirm that around 100 users may have been affected by the fault over the two-week period.
Delivering its assessment, the SGA ruled that ATG had broken one of its licensing conditions, namely that it must offer players the opportunity to self-exclude via the Spelpaus.se system, with that system required to be visible on all licensed operator sites.
The SGA found that while the error length was not significant, players could still self-exclude themselves by talking to a customer service operative, and that ATG had worked promptly to fix the issue. Highlighting ATG’s proactive approach in reporting the fault to the SGA, the regulator suggested it had reduced the punishment and fine accordingly rather than taking more serious action against the group and its licence.
The figure of SEK2m was reached in relation to the group’s most recent annual gross gaming revenue (GGR) total of SEK5.5bn. The fine could have been anywhere from SEK5,000 up to SEK2.5bn.
This is not the first time ATG has been in hot water with the SGA.
The former monopoly operator was cautioned in March 2020, when another technical error saw bonuses repeatedly awarded to 15 players.
At the end of 2020, ATG found themselves in trouble alongside Kindred Group after an online loophole allowed players to repeatedly breach Covid-19 restrictions on deposit limits. The regulator fined both firms SEK5,000.
Lastly, in June 2021, the regulator reprimanded ATG alongside Polar Limited after the pair admitted to violating Swedish sports betting laws.