The Swedish gambling authority, Spelinspektionen, has imposed a ban on WinBet NV, citing the unlawful targeting of Swedish bettors via its Superb.bet platform.
Following an investigation, Spelinspektionen determined that WinBet was only licensed in Greece, which does not permit operations directed at Swedish players. The regulatory body found that specific criteria were met, suggesting intent to attract Swedish users. This includes the availability of a Swedish language option and payment methods particular to Sweden.
One significant point raised was that when accessed from a Swedish IP address, the Superb.bet website defaulted to Swedish, allowing local players to register without any barriers, despite the absence of the necessary license.
WinBet was given an opportunity to address these findings but chose not to respond. Consequently, Spelinspektionen acted swiftly to implement the ban, effective immediately.
WinBet’s Swedish Ban Echoes Previous Dutch Warning
This isn’t the first instance of regulatory scrutiny facing WinBet. Last October, the Dutch regulatory body, Kansspelautoriteit, issued a warning regarding its operations. The investigation revealed that WinBet had been facilitating online gambling without the required licenses across four different sites: Galaxyspins.com, Winnercasino1.bet, Superb1.bet, and Doctorspins.com, all of which were unauthorized in the Netherlands.
As a result, WinBet received an ultimatum to cease operations or risk incurring weekly fines of €280,000 until it reached a cap of €840,000.
Three Operators Cleared of Compliance Issues in Sweden
In a separate matter, Spelinspektionen has exonerated three operators from allegations related to compliance violations. In June, the regulator focused on AB Trav och Galopp (ATG), Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, and Lotto Direct, initiating oversight regarding their reporting obligations.
Upon review, no significant issues were identified, leading to the closure of all three cases, indicating that they adhered to the required compliance standards.