Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, the digital division of Sweden’s state-owned gambling operator, has successfully overturned a SEK100 million ($10.5 million) fine and official warning issued by the national gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen.
The Administrative Court in Linköping ruled in favour of the operator on June 2, annulling both the financial sanction and the regulator’s reprimand.
The dispute originated from a case filed in March 2024, in which Spelinspektionen accused Svenska Spel of breaching the 2019 Gambling Act by failing to fulfill its duty of care to players.
The regulator’s investigation, conducted between October and December 2021, highlighted alleged deficiencies in player protection, particularly concerning the treatment of the ten customers who incurred the highest gambling losses during the monitoring period.
Svenska Spel argued the penalty was disproportionate and that the current rules on player protection are unclear, a reason why operators continue to fall short. The court agreed, stating that regulatory actions must be supported by law. While the ruling cancels the original fine and warning, Spelinspektionen can still appeal the decision.
Fredrik Wastenson, Svenska Spel Sport & Casino CEO, said: “There is a need to create greater clarity in the interpretation of the duty of care. We believe the authority may only take measures that are supported by the legal order, the so-called legality principle, which the court has also stated.”
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/06/03/106922-svenska-spel-overturns-105-million-penalty-in-landmark-court-ruling
