Industry News
LeoVegas Mobile Gaming Group: Ardalan’s pyrrhic victory risks torpedoing Swedish gambling regulations
Open letter to Minister for Public Administration Ardalan Shekarabi
Ardalan’s pyrrhic victory risks torpedoing Swedish gambling regulations
– If players leave, companies will follow suit
On January 1, 2019, new gambling regulations were introduced in Sweden. Minister for Public Administration Ardalan Shekarabi spearheaded the reform, with cooperation from the opposition, resulting in broad support in the Swedish Parliament. The overall mantra was that the state should regain control of the gambling market after decades of gambling moving to companies that operated in Sweden without a license. Parliament’s preferred method of effective gambling market control is what is known as channelling, i.e. regulating what percentage of Swedish consumers choose to play with Swedish-licenced companies.
As expected, this resulted in a crossroads where companies, with the aim of maintaining a long-term business model, welcomed more insight into operations and greater control over players’ behaviour in exchange for a well-functioning and sustainable gaming market. In order to ensure responsible gaming, companies were required to implement a number of measures, such as age verification, bonus limits, limits on deposits and time played, as well as extensive processes to prevent money laundering and unhealthy gambling habits. This became a matter of importance for the 90 companies that chose to apply for a Swedish gaming license and together laid the foundation for a new Swedish gaming market that focused on strong consumer protections.
But not everyone jumped on the Ardalan train. Many companies felt there was more to gain from staying out of the system and continuing to offer games beyond the reach of taxes, controls, and other responsible gaming measures – the so-called black market.
Today, only a year later, it turns out that the “package” that the licensed companies chose to buy and sign onto has changed character completely and thus risks losing all its appeal, benefitting companies that chose to operate on the black market. We must remember that it is the customers who choose where the best product is. In a digital world, that power does not lie with the state, or with us as corporations for that matter.
We operate in a digital world and have direct access to all the relevant data needed to evaluate what measures can help strengthen our players’ safety and security while still providing attractive offers and products. The sad thing is that the government, with Ardalan Shekarabi at the forefront, does not want to talk to us about how we can work together and, with help from the insights we possess, develop a well-functioning Swedish gambling market. This became especially clear when the Minister, on April 23, proposed new emergency restrictions, proclaiming that, “The Government sees major risks in the gambling sector right now.” But the overall gambling industry (private and state) doesn’t see the same pattern at all. Instead, we see how gambling has diminished compared to what it looked like before the covid-19 crisis struck.
This week, the independent research firm Copenhagen Economics published a report describing how more and more players are choosing to spend their time with companies operating on the black market. This can be seen as nothing other than a failing grade for the government, which has completely failed to defend its own licensing system. The biggest drop was among online casinos, where approximately every fourth krona gambled goes to an unlicensed company instead of a company with a Swedish license.
Minister Shekarabi knows about this; he also has access to statistics that reveal a reduction in channelling. But for some inexplicable reason, he doesn’t seem worried that more and more players are going to the uncontrolled black market. The purpose of the re-regulation, which had broad support in the Swedish Parliament, was to create a more sustainable gambling market that functioned well in the long term. Now the minister is about to create a “Wild West 2.0” in the gambling market, and he’s doing it in the name of consumer protection. It is now clear to us that Ardalan Shekarabi does not share our ambition to create a sustainable and safe gambling market since his latest proposal is perhaps the best advertisement yet for players to abandon licensed companies in favour of the black market.
Every company, regardless of industry, wants to be where the customers are. If the customers leave, the companies will follow suit. The Swedish gambling market not only provides safety and security to players but also contributes billions annually in much-needed tax revenue and investment in sports. By slowly eroding the Swedish gaming market month by month, the government risks bringing about major cuts in security, tax revenue, and societal investment.
We can only be left to wonder why Ardalan Shekarabi wants to torpedo his own gambling regulations.
Stockholm 2020-04-30
Pontus Lindwall, CEO, Betsson AB
Henrik Tjärnström, CEO, Kindred Group
Gustaf Hagman, Group CEO, LeoVegas
Therese Hillman, CEO, NetEnt AB
Ulrik Bengtsson, Group CEO, William Hill Plc
Source: leovegas.mynewsdesk.com
West Virginia University (WVU) made history on Monday by hosting its first-ever Responsible Gaming and Digital Entertainment Symposium.
The event, organized by WVU’s Esports Business and Entertainment Program, brought together distinguished speakers from industry and academia to discuss ethical and responsible growth within esports, sports gambling, and digital entertainment industries.
The symposium was sponsored by Playtech, Continent 8, Play’n Go, IC360, Defy the Odds, and Absolutebet, and featured discussions on key topics such as “Regulation and Research Combine to Create a Safer Environment,” “Consumerism in iGaming, Esports, and Traditional Sports,” and “Women and Underrepresented Populations in Esports, Sports, and Entertainment.”
Krisztina Kalla, Head of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance at Absolutebet, emphasized the importance of the event, stating: “This symposium was the first step of something truly impactful, and we’re excited to continue our partnership with WVU to create many more groundbreaking events. Together, we’re paving the way for a future that introduces students to responsible gambling practices and opens doors to the world of iGaming.”
Kelly Kehn, Founder of Defy the Odds, highlighted the necessity of collaboration between key stakeholders: “What an honor and privilege to join the staff and students at WVU’s inaugural Responsible Gaming and Digital Entertainment Symposium. If we are to create a sustainable industry that creates jobs in our communities and innovation for our customers, collaboration between legislators, educators, and businesses must occur. It was inspiring to participate as WVU leads the way on this front.”
Jeremie Kanter, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Continent 8 Technologies, and David Brace, Principal of Innovation and Technology at Continent 8 Technologies, echoed this sentiment: “It has been a privilege to participate in the inaugural Responsible Gaming and Digital Entertainment Symposium. This initiative marks the beginning of an innovative and impactful approach to leveraging data through a distinctive partnership model that includes the state lottery, industry, and academia, with the purpose of safeguarding and supporting the state’s gaming participants while fostering the growth of the broader entertainment sector.”
Jonathan Doubilet, a key industry participant, praised the event’s collaborative nature: “I was honored to participate in the Responsible Gaming and Digital Entertainment Symposium in West Virginia. The event provided a unique opportunity to bring together industry leaders, scholars, and students to discuss how industry stakeholders can work together to build a sustainable and responsible digital entertainment sector.”
West Virginia Delegate Shawn Fluharty (D-Ohio) was also in attendance to discuss the Responsible Gaming and Researching and Industry Development Act, which was passed during the 2024 legislative session. This legislation allows for the collection of anonymized gambling data to be used for research at WVU.
Fluharty expressed his hopes that this initiative will position West Virginia at the forefront of the expanding gaming industry, while providing research opportunities and career pathways for WVU students.
As WVU continues to expand its Esports Business and Entertainment Program, which began offering a Bachelor of Arts degree last year, the university aims to lead the way in responsible gaming research and digital entertainment innovation.
The post WVU Hosts Inaugural Responsible Gaming and Digital Entertainment Symposium appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
CT Interactive Appoints Dimitar Raychev as Technical Support Specialist for Online Services
CT Interactive has appointed Dimitar Raychev as Technical Support Specialist for Online Services.
Over the years, Dimitar has worked with various platforms such as AWS, Active Directory and SAP, allowing him to acquire deep knowledge and skills in managing infrastructures and automating processes. Thanks to his expertise, he has helped many organisations optimise their systems and maintain high levels of efficiency.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dimitar Raychev to the CT Interactive team, where he will take on the role of Technical Support Specialist for Online Services. Dimitar brings extensive experience in providing technical support to global clients, successfully diagnosing and resolving issues with software, hardware and network systems. His commitment to quality service and the technical skills he possesses make him a valuable asset. We look forward to leveraging his knowledge and continuing to provide our clients with impeccable service and support,” the company said.
The post CT Interactive Appoints Dimitar Raychev as Technical Support Specialist for Online Services appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
International Game Technology has won seven awards at the 2025 EKG Slot Awards Show. The EKG Slot Awards Show is a performance-based, annual programme produced by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) that recognizes excellence in slot game development in the casino gaming industry. IGT won the most awards of any gaming industry supplier, taking home trophies for seven of the program’s 25 categories.
IGT won the following categories at the 2025 EKG Slot Awards Show:
• Top Performing NEW Premium Game: Tiger and Dragon Cash on Reels
• Most Innovative Land-Based Game: Tiger and Dragon Cash on Reels
• Top Performing 3rd Party IP Branded Game: Whitney Houston Slots
• Top Performing Game – EMEA: Magic Treasures Dragon
• Top Performing NEW Video Poker/Keno Game: Mega Hot Poker
• Top Performing NEW Online Table Game: Blackjack Poker & Pairs Surrender
• Best Overall Supplier of Online Content: IGT PlayDigital
“IGT winning seven awards at the 2025 EKG Slot Awards Show is a significant achievement that speaks to our performance momentum across multiple product categories and the immense talent and dedication of IGT employees worldwide. We look forward to continuing to help our customers benefit from these strong IGT themes in 2025 and beyond via follow-up games for Tiger and Dragon, Whitney Houston Slots, Magic Treasures and Mega Hot Poker,” said Nick Khin, IGT President, Global Gaming.
“It was exciting to see IGT PlayDigital honored at the 2025 EKG Slot Awards Show in the most esteemed iGaming category, ‘Best Overall Supplier of Online Content,’ and recognized with the ‘Top Performing NEW Online Table Game’ award for Blackjack Poker & Pairs Surrender. Developing and delivering market-leading content and performance tools is a cornerstone of IGT PlayDigital’s strategy and I wish to congratulate the entire team on these remarkable accomplishments,” said Gil Rotem, IGT PlayDigital President.
The post IGT Wins Seven Awards at the 2025 EKG Slot Awards Show appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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