Swedish regulator seeks licence verification partner

Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has launched a tender for a partner to provide verification services on operators applying for licences in the country. The supplier will collect information on an applicant’s group structure, company information and ownership image, including the composition of boards, senior executives and the applicant’s physical addresses. Spelinspektionen did not state how many investigations the supplier will have to carry out as part of the agreement, but estimates that this figure could reach 50. Aside from new applicants, the regulator may request that its supplier partner also investigate the details of operators that already hold licences in Sweden. This additional activity could include verifying of identities of owners and senior executives at licensed companies. Since the Swedish market became regulated on January 1, Spelinspektionen has rolled out a number of initiatives in a major effort to clamp down on illegal and unlicensed gambling activities, as well as ensure licences are abiding by the new regulations. Aspire Global, Genesis Gaming and Paf Consultaing have all been fined in recent months over failures relating to the Swedish self-exclusion scheme, which went live with the regulated market in January. Last month, Spelinspektionen issued warnings to numerous operators that were found to have offered betting options on a football match featuring players under the age of 18. The regulator has also set out plans to crack down on excessive advertising in Sweden, with the Gaming Market Commission (Spelmarknadsutredningen) in the process of investigating a possible blanket ban.