Kindred faced harsh penalties in March 2020, including a substantial fine of SEK100 million, from the Swedish gaming authority Spelinspektionen. The claimed violations pertaining to unregistered bonuses and lotteries were the reason for the penalties.
As per Swedish rules, licensees are only allowed to give sign-up incentives; they are not allowed to offer any other promotional offers. But upon closer inspection, a number of unlawful bonuses—including an online bingo loyalty program—were discovered on Kindred-owned websites including Unibet and Maria Casino.
Kindred defended its conduct, arguing that these incentives were components of the game rather than bonuses. However, other violations, including as free spins, bingo benefits, and free bets, were discovered during follow-up inspections in May and June 2019.
Moreover, Kindred was found to be dangling rewards for poker play, akin to lottery prizes, without proper authorization.
Legal Maneuvers and Reduced Penalties
Undeterred, Kindred pursued legal recourse, appealing the fine before the Administrative Court in Linköping. In July 2021, the court opted to slash the penalty in half, down to SEK50m. While acknowledging the severity of Kindred’s violations, the court deemed a “medium-high penalty fee” more fitting.
Kindred pursued legal action after receiving a reduced fine, and this time the verdict was in their favor once more. The fine has now been further reduced by the same court, to SEK30 million.
Kindred reaffirmed its position in the wake of the most recent ruling, claiming that the vagueness of the bonus rules called for an easing of the penalties. The business highlighted its compliance initiatives after authorities issued their initial warnings.
Kindred is happy at the reduced penalty, but Spelinspektionen has not commented on the most recent development and has remained silent about the situation.
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