The Swedish gambling regulator has prohibited the operator of GG.bet from offering its services in the country, deeming the brand to be breaching regulations.
The regulator, Spelinspektionen, said ASG 360 Services is registered in Cyprus and that its parent company, River Entertainment, is based in Curaçao.
However, a review of GG.bet, which Spelinspektionen said does not have a licence, found that Swedish krona is available as a currency and is “pre-selected” when accessing the site from a Swedish IP address.
“Marketing materials in Swedish were found, either directly from the company or via affiliates,” the regulator said, adding that Swedish consumers were “not restricted” from registering and creating an account on the website.
That has prompted the regulator to prohibit GG.bet from operating in Sweden, although these factors which currently deem a gambling company without a Swedish licence to be targeting Swedish consumers are the subject of a government review aiming to improve the regulations.
The government has listened to calls from Swedish gambling trade association BOS, which called for a review into a “loophole” in the gambling legislation which it said is fuelling illegal activity.
BOS noted that unlicensed companies are still able to target Swedish consumers as long as they avoid using the Swedish language and the use of the Swedish krona as currency.
Marcus Isgren, the chairman and head of the Swedish Board of Consumer Complaints, has been appointed as the state investigator by the government.
Isgren must present his assessment of the situation and any recommendations by September 17 this year.
