Sweden’s BIM rejects proposals for increased regulation of gambling advertisements
Sweden’s leading online gaming industry organization has rejected a government proposal regarding the increased regulation of gaming advertising in the Scandinavian nation.
The Swedish industry association for online gaming, the Industry Association for Online Gaming (BOS), called for the withdrawal of the proposal from the country’s Ministry of Finance.
If successful, the proposal would mean that advertising for games in Sweden would be reclassified and go from being regulated “on the basis of moderate requirements” to “special moderation”.
Gustaf Hoffstedt, the association’s general secretary, strongly warned the government to adopt this proposed change and said: “This is another proposal from the government that plays straight into the hands of unlicensed gaming companies in Sweden. The trump card for licensed gaming companies has been the opportunity to market themselves and in this way channel gaming consumers to the secure Swedish licensed system. “
This development follows a period of re-regulation for the country and the government’s gaming market investigation into changes to the nation’s gaming share in 2018.
If gambling advertisements see that their regulatory status is tightened, they will be forced to follow much stricter measures in much the same way as alcohol advertisements already do.
These would contain a warning for all marketing and advertising versions and, perhaps most harmful, a watershed at 21:00 when online casino products can be shown on TV, radio and digital media.
“On the possibility of [broadcasting adverts] becomes even more difficult, the leakage from the Swedish licensing system and already 25% of the turnover for online casinos leaking out of the licensing system will fall to even more critically low levels, Hoffstedt continued and issued a serious warning to the country’s supervisory authority. “In the name of consumer protection, this proposal must be withdrawn.”
This news comes after the Swedish gaming regulator, the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate, confirmed its support for the Ministry of Finance’s proposed changes.