Swedish government tells operators to reduce marketing or face stricter regulations
Operators given until 31 March to show “noticeable change” in advertising practices
The Swedish government has given licensed Swedish operators a month to show a “noticeable change” in their marketing practices or they could face tougher regulations.
Speaking at a meeting with Sweden’s 69 licensed operators, Sweden’s Minister for Civil Affairs, Ardalan Shekarabi, said: “Either they are the ones who take responsibility and create a sustainable situation in the industry, or the state will take its responsibility and go with mandatory legislation.”
Calling current gambling advertising “excessive and aggressive”, Shekarabi refused to rule out a complete ban, saying it was “reasonable to give the gaming companies the opportunity for self-regulation” prior to potential restrictions being enacted.
Mitt budskap efter mötet med spellicenshavarna är att nu uppmanar jag branschen att ta frågan på allvar och inleda dialog för att få till förändringar vad gäller marknadsföringens aggressivitet innan mars månad är slut. Om vi inte får sådana signaler så kommer regeringen agera. pic.twitter.com/x9RkrT1LQ1
— Ardalan Shekarabi (@shekarabi) February 14, 2019
Under current Swedish gambling laws, licensed operators are required to exercise “moderation” in marketing gambling products to consumers, although there is no explicit definition existing in legislation as to what moderation entails.
Six gambling companies including Kindred, Svenska Spel and LeoVegas are among Sweden’s 20 biggest advertisers, according to figures released by Swedish news outlet Dagens Media.
A survey by Swedish market analysts Kantar Sifo found that 87% of respondents thought there was too much advertising by gambling companies in Sweden. Over 75% believe that the laws surrounding gambling advertising should be tightened, while more than half (53%) of respondents favoured a total ban on gambling advertising.
Gustaf Hoffstedt, head of the industry trade body BOS, said its members “work hard to meet the requirements of the new game law” but warned that “excessive demands” on gambling operators “risk eroding the new licensing system”.