Betsson successfully with an objection – millions of million

Around a year after the Swedish gaming group Betsson from gambling supervision spel inspections with one Punishment of 20 million Swedish crowns, the equivalent of around 1.96 million euros, the Linköping Administrative Court collected the sanctions.

Spel inspections contest voucher sales and bonus card

As the authority announced on Thursday, the punishment against Betsson was canceled at the beginning of the week and the objection of the gambling group was granted. On June 8, 2020, the supervision of Spelinpections had been punished by Betson, particularly in connection with bonus offers. Specifically, Betsson was charged to have sold vouchers for online gambling in the retail chains Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven. However, according to the spel inspections, this sales path is illegal, since gambling products of all kinds including vouchers may only be obtained from registered gaming brokers. The profits made in this way were only one point that was objected to.

In addition, Betsson was also accused of granting customers about a “Betsson Mastercard” various bonuses and benefits, which is not allowed in 2018, in 2018, intensified Swedish Gambling Act. How strictly one deals with gambling and in particular the recruitment of customers in Sweden shows a look at one in July 2020 at 100 Swedish crowns, the equivalent of almost ten euros, limited Welcome bonus. In addition, regular bonus offers and special bonuses are generally not permitted.

Administrative court contradicts the gambling supervision

However, the Linköping Administrative Court now took place in Betson and justified this decision with the fact that the allegations made by the Spelinpections were unjustified. From the point of view of the administrative court, the sale of vouchers did not violate the applicable laws, since a voucher itself is not an actual gambling product.

In addition, it was also not verifiable that Betsson had achieved additional income with the sale of the vouchers that were unjustified. And with regard to the “Betsson Mastercard”, the court ruled that it was not a bonus in the classic sense.

Betson was fully successful with his calling, but must not be happy too early. Because the gambling supervision Spelinpections has the opportunity to go into revision and have the matter checked again. So far, it is still unclear whether this step will occur.

Punishment against spoonics in half

The past has shown the past a few times that objections to sanctions of the spel inspections can certainly be successful. For example, the Linköping Administrative Court last summer also a punishment for the Bethard Group Limited, which had offered unauthorized betting on sports events with a minor participation, from 2.5 million SEK (approx. 240,000 euros) to only 400,000 seconds (approx. 38,000 Euro) significantly reduced.

However, a procedure for corresponding punishments always has no success, at least not in full. The Linköping Administrative Court recently confirmed violations of the gambling group Spooniker in the form of non -permitted bonuses and inadmissible lottery games. However, the court came to the conclusion that the punishment of 100 million Swedish crowns, around 9.8 million euros, was covered. Instead, Spoonikers now only have to pay half of this punishment, which of course is still stately and should also have a deterrent effect.