SGA fines bingo operator after underage gambling violation
The Swedish regulator hands down a SEK500,000 sanction to Folkspel after the operator allowed a minor to play its Bingolotto product
The Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) has issued a warning and a SEK500,000 (£37,600) fine to bingo operator Folkspel after the firm allowed a minor to bet.
On 23 December 2023, Folkspel permitted an individual under the age of 18 to call into its Bingolotto TV broadcast and participate in the subsequent prize draw.
The bingo operator then contacted the SGA on 4 January 2024 to tell them the incident had occurred after the regulator had received “several tips” that a minor had participated in the event.
The incident violates sections 2 and 3 of the Swedish Gambling Act, which state that licensed gambling cannot not be provided to anyone under the age of 18, and that gambling games must be provided in such a way where it is possible to check the age of a player.
As there were no identity checks carried out when the individual telephoned Bingolotto, the SGA proceeded to carry out an assessment of Folkspel’s age verification processes.
Following the evaluation, Folkspel conducted its own internal review and subsequently put in place manual age checks for the Bingolotto broadcasts.
The new checks include an automatic reference to social security numbers and addresses of callers to prevent underage individuals from featuring in broadcasts.
An SGA statement said: “Folkspel has provided games to anyone under 18 years of age. The Swedish Gambling Authority assesses that the violations are serious, especially taking into account the lack of routines regarding the call-in moments.
“Folkspel has cooperated with the SGA in the matter and submitted the information requested.
“However, the collaboration cannot be considered to have been active in a different way than what one must normally be able to expect from an association that has chosen to operate licensed activities under supervision.
“The mitigating circumstances do not outweigh the seriousness of the violations in such a way that they can be considered minor or excusable.”
Earlier this week, the regulator issued a warning and a SEK7m (£527,075) fine to Kanon Gaming for duty of care failings.