Svenska Spel fined for administrative “misunderstanding”

Swedish gambling giant Svenska Spel has been fined 2 million Swedish kronor (around €148,000) by gambling regulator Spelinspektionen. The reason? Moving slot machines without updating their licence. However, Svenska Spel has claimed an “administrative misunderstanding”.

Fine for moving machines

In December 2018, Svenska Spel had obtained a licence to operate slot machines in specific bingo halls in Kinna and Hagfors. However, the company subsequently moved these machines to locations in Skene Hagfor where it was not authorised to operate.

When Spelinspektionen contacted Svenska Spel in September 2023, the company submitted a request for a change of address. However, legislative changes in July 2023 required additional documentation that Svenska Spel failed to provide.

Reduced fine

After correcting its procedures and removing the disputed machines, Svenska Spel received a warning and a reduced fine. In a statement, the company expressed regret for the incident.

“Our intention was to do things properly, but due to an administrative misunderstanding, it went wrong. This will not happen again.”

Thomas Engström, head of operational sales

New fine for Svenska Spel

This is not the first fine that Svenka Spel has received this year. In March, Svenska Spel was already fined a much larger amount of SEK 100 million (around €9.75 million) for breaches related to its duty of care towards players.