Two bet365 subsidiaries in Sweden have had fines imposed in 2023 reduced by the country’s Administrative Court.
Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, fined Hillside (Sports) and Hillside (Gaming) SEK65m (£4.9m) and SEK14m (£1.05m), respectively, for responsible gambling failures including a lack of duty of care to players, in April last year.
Bet365 appealed on both occasions and the fines have now been reduced; the fine for Hillside (Sports) has dropped to SEK40m (£3m) while Hillside (Gaming) must pay SEK4m (£301,294).
The regulator said in its initial ruling that bet365’s plans “lacked a description of what measures should be taken in the event of excessive gambling for young players and for those who had previously been suspended.”
One customer’s activity highlighted in the Hillside (Gaming) fine included the player being allowed to make 44 deposits and 36 withdrawals between October 17, 2021 and November 27, 2021 – amounting to a total loss of SEK287,623 (£21,644) – with no deposit limits set.
Spelinspektionen wanted the Administrative Court to reduce the Hillside (Sports) fine to SEK52m (£3.9m) but was overruled.
The Administrative Court said its revised fine is “proportionate and fair” with regard to the “violations in question, Hillside's financial circumstances” and the case’s “mitigating and aggravating factors.”
The court issued the same response as it partially approved Spelinspektionen’s appeal to reduce the Hillside (Gaming) fine to SEK5m (£376,618).
