Roar Vegas has been fined SEK8 million ($795,303) by Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, for not taking prompt action to stop excessive gambling. After a supervisory inspection, the regulator found that the operator failed to take prompt action to stop three clients’ dangerous gaming conduct. Interestingly, two of the clients were between the ages of 18 and 24, which is frequently seen as a more vulnerable cohort.
Even while Roar Vegas finally put what Spelinspektionen called “effective measures” into place, the authority insisted that earlier action was required. The regulator imposed both a punishment and a public reprimand as a result of the delay, especially in cases involving younger players.
Roar Vegas Challenges the Fine
Disagreeing with the ruling, Roar Vegas asserted that it had fulfilled its duty of care obligations. The operator argued that its intervention ultimately stopped the customers’ excessive gambling. It also criticized the lack of clear regulations defining when more severe measures should be applied.
However, Spelinspektionen countered this argument, emphasizing that signs of problem gambling were evident. The players exhibited concerning behaviors like frequent logins, long gaming sessions, and significant financial losses. The regulator stressed that these indicators warranted quicker and more decisive intervention, especially for younger users.
Since the investigation, Roar Vegas has introduced additional safeguards, including deposit limit warnings, improved monitoring guidelines, and stricter loss and bet size limits. Despite these enhancements, the fine and reprimand remain in effect.
In a separate case, Glitnor Services, based in Stockholm, faced a harsher penalty. The regulator fined the company $2.7 million and issued a formal warning after identifying serious duty-of-care violations. During a supervisory check, 10 out of 12 gamblers assessed by Spelinspektionen displayed signs of excessive gambling.
In one instance, a player was found gambling for 11 consecutive hours, while three users deposited a combined $218,831 in a single month. Despite these red flags, Glitnor Services’ interventions, which included customer messaging, had no significant impact.
Similar to Roar Vegas, Glitnor Services challenged the penalties, claiming that operators are not required by the existing legislation to take more stringent measures than those that are typically taken. The business said that a decrease in a player’s gaming activity ought to be adequate proof of compliance.
But according to Spelinspektionen, operators are legally required to take the appropriate steps to stop excessive gaming, as stated in Chapter 14, Section 1 of the gaming Act. Temporary suspensions or account limits are examples of these actions.
These penalties highlight how strictly Sweden regulates gambling. Notably, Spelinspektionen recently revealed that its gaming revenue increased by 2.65% annually to SEK27.85 billion in 2024. This increase emphasizes how crucial it is to have strong consumer protection laws while gaming involvement keeps rising.
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