Leading gambling chiefs publish seven-point proposal to combat Swedish deposit limits
Industry bosses recommend safer gambling measures including player risk ratings in open letter to government
Nine leading gambling bosses have proposed new regulatory standards for Sweden-licensed operators to counter the government’s widely criticised plan to impose deposit and bonus limits.
The operators, in collaboration with Swedish gambling trade body BOS, were responding to government orders to implement a SEK5,000 (£420) a week deposit limit on online casino gaming, as well as a SEK100 (£8.40) cap on one-time player bonuses.
The measures were even criticised by the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) as critics suggested such radical limits would drive consumers towards the unregulated black market.
In a new open letter to Sweden’s ministry of finance, bosses of William Hill, Betsson, Kindred, LeoVegas, Videoslots, NetEnt, ComeOn, Hero Gaming and SuprNation reiterated their condemnation of the government’s proposal and submitted their own seven-point plan to improve player protection and safeguard the regulated environment.
Among these measures were calls for the introduction of B2B licensing, which would increase the SGA’s ability to regulate online gambling suppliers and providers.
Kindred Group CEO Henrik Tjärnström signed the letter and has previously called for B2B licensing
“The measure would promote the channelisation and is therefore welcomed by the licensed gambling industry as well as gambling addiction organisations,” BOS wrote in the letter.
Citing the volume of data collected by gambling operators, BOS said the ministry has a “golden opportunity” to collaborate with the industry, including addiction groups, on regulation to preserve the long-term future of Sweden’s legal gambling market.
“If we don’t start to cooperate and introduce long-term measures grounded in facts, we risk turning back the clock to what the market looked like prior to re-regulation,” the letter states.
In addition to a B2B licence framework, BOS has recommended the introduction of a system of player risk ratings, based on individual data gained by gambling operators on customers’ gambling habits.
“We share the government’s view that protection for and of players is of the utmost importance. We agree that this work must continue and that together we can create a sustainable gambling market with strong consumer protections. But the work must be based on facts,” BOS wrote.
The group has also requested the Swedish government clearly define the SGA’s mandate, as well as called for the expansion of the Spelpaus.se national self-exclusion database to include payday loans.
Last week, BOS argued the proposed deposit limits on online casino would decrease Sweden’s legal market channelisation to an estimated rate of between 52%-63%.