Spelinspektionen denied leave of appeal

The Swedish Court of Appeal has denied regulator Spelinspektionen’s leave of appeal concerning a deposit cap loophole.

The case

Spelinspektionen claimed Kindred subsidiary Spooniker had allowed its users to deposit more than the weekly limit of 5,000 SEK (£425). The limit was introduced last year as a temporary measure. It is to protect online casino players.
Kindred claimed it only allowed users to set their own limits on online betting services and not online gambling. Spooniker won the appeal in April. Spelinspektionen criticised this decision. It argued the deposit cap was unenforceable.

The appeal

Spelinspektionen was quick to lodge an appeal in the Swedish Court of Appeal. The court decided there are no grounds for appeal and the former decision still stands. The decision further stated that the cap refers to deposit limits and not actual deposits.
Spelinspektionen believes this is a violation of the law and that the deposit cap “loses its significance as a consumer protection provision”. It also added that this allows operators offering both online gambling and casino the opportunity to “easily circumvent the deposit limits”.

The new rules

The deposit cap was introduced in July 2020 and was expected to last for six months. It will now last until June 2021. It was introduced over concerns that Sweden’s citizens were gambling more as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Players also have to set time limits on their online games.