Swedish regulator warns over illegal ads

Swedish gambling regulator Lotteriinspektionen has issued official warnings to 39 digital media outlets over their promotion of international gambling sites.

The warnings relate to clickable adverts that forward the user to an operator based outside of the country.

Sweden’s Lottery Act prohibits the promotion of gambling operators or services that are not licensed by Lotteriinspektionen.

Although the regulator only referred to the websites as “lottery operators” in its official release, local media outlet Breakit published the list in full.

DN and Svenska Dagbladet were among those cited by Breakit.

Sweden is facing a period of great change in the online gambling sector, with the country to begin accepting applications for licences under the new regime from August 1.

Gaming operators that intend to apply for a licence will have to pay SEK400,000 (€39,000/$45,900).

Should the operator wish to offer both online gaming and betting services, this fee will be set at SEK700,000.

New regulations will not come into force until January 1, 2019.

Related article: Sweden pushes back licence applications to 1 August