Swedish Lotteriinspektionen to prohibit foreign betting sites ads

On 18 October, the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court (Svenska Lotteriinspektionen) decided to withhold issuing a test permit from the Lottery Inspectorate regarding the promotion of two non-profit lottery sites.

The current goals relate to News24, who published a link on their site where they promoted the services of two foreign bookmakers that operate without permission in Sweden. The same applied for Clear Channel, which, on certain high profile matches, showed advertisements of such operators.

Lottery Inspector General, Camilla Rosenberg commented: "The Lottery Inspectorate sees the increasing marketing of gaming companies that do not have permission for their operations in Sweden as problematic. We therefore welcome the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court. I now expect all parties to follow the current legislation and the authority's decision. "

The decision of the Supreme Administrative Court means that the earlier judgements of the Chamber of Commons should apply in both cases. The Chamber of Commerce found that the Swedish lottery legislation, and thus the promotion ban in Section 38 of the Lottery Act, are compatible to the EU laws and that the Lottery Inspectorate has made a lawful decision in both cases.

Foreign Betting Sites Ads Background

Under section 38 of the Lottery Act, it is prohibited to promote gambling as a professional activity, or otherwise for the purpose of acquisition, participation in an inland lottery which is not permitted or a lottery organized outside the country.

The Lottery Inspectorate may, in accordance with Section 52 of the Lottery Act, notify the injunctions and prohibitions necessary in compliance with the Lottery Act. Such an injunction or prohibition may be combined with a penalty in accordance with the law (1985: 206).

In both cases, the Lottery Inspectorate has issued injunctions for damages in connection with promotion of participation in non-national lotteries. The Supreme Administrative Court issued a decision concerning the two cases of advertising participation in unlicensed lotteries and has been directed to the companies Clear Channel Sverige AB and Nyheter 24 AB.

Clear Channel Sverige AB has been proposed to discontinue the promotion of gaming activities under the Unibet brand in Sweden.

News 24 AB has been submitted that on the news24.se website, marketing such as links (clickable graphics or domain addresses) to non-member lotteries, ceases.