Swedish government ups legislation threat following “insufficient” ad guidelines
Minister of Civil Affairs rejects suggested code of conduct and reiterates threat of stricter legislation
A joint industry association code of conduct for gambling advertising is insufficient to meet moderate marketing requirements, Sweden’s Minister of Civil Affairs Ardalan Shekarabi has said.
Speaking to Swedish news outlet Studio Ett, Shekarabi gave his first assessment of guidelines presented by Swedish industry associations BOS and SPER, branding them “not sufficient”.
“There is a need for regulation to be able to protect consumers and this message today is not enough,” Shekarabi added. Last week, BOS (Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling) and SPER (Swedish Gambling Association) released a joint code of conduct for gambling advertising in the Swedish market.
This move follows Shekarabi’s threat to impose stricter regulation on gambling firms by 31 March if no changes to advertising practices had occurred. Speaking about the new code of conduct, Shekarabi said these new guidelines would not lead to a noticeable change, adding that “we have come a step closer to stricter legislation”.
Jenny Nilzon, CEO of SPER, said both organisations had “really made an effort” in developing guidelines which provide an interpretation of the law and clarity on what moderation in marketing means.
Nilzon slammed Shekarabi’s comments, saying the new code of conduct “has not even been able to prove itself” before being condemned.
BOS secretary general Gustaf Hoffstedt said the joint code of conduct was focused on the content of the advertising rather than the volume.
In previous announcements, Shekarabi called on operators to “moderate” their advertising but has provided no explicit definition as to what this moderation entails.
Attacking the ministers lack of clarity on this issue, Hoffstedt said the industry should “bear in mind that the legislation he proposed which is now in force also focuses on content, not the total sum of all advertisement”.
A potential gambling advertising ban has been muted, but no concrete announcements have been made.
Addressing the potential for a ban, Hoffstedt said that such legislation would only benefit unlicensed operators. He said: “The most important advantage for the licensed operators is their possibility to advertise in Swedish broadcasting media and out-of-home advertising.”