Recently, Betfair lost its challenge in the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court. The company sought to overturn a substantial penalty levied by the Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen.
The situation originated in June 2019 when Spelinspektionen determined that Betfair had been taking wagers on athletic competitions from underage individuals, a serious violation of Swedish gambling regulations. This led to a financial sanction of SEK 5.5 million (approximately USD 522,000).
Betfair first contested the ruling in April 2020, but the Administrative Court upheld it. Undeterred, they escalated their case to a higher tribunal in June 2021 and successfully secured a reduction of the penalty to SEK 4.5 million.
Unfortunately, their fortune ran out at the Supreme Administrative Court, which rejected their final appeal. Betfair received a formal reprimand and instructions to settle the adjusted fine.
Betfair was not the only entity to face consequences from the Swedish Gambling Authority. Operators SkillOnNet and Betway also had their appeals against sanctions dismissed.
SkillOnNet was found to be providing prohibited bonuses and lotteries that breached their gaming permit, while Betway was discovered offering unauthorized incentives. These infractions resulted in penalties of SEK 14 million and SEK 4.7 million, respectively.
Following their unsuccessful appeals, both SkillOnNet and Betway were issued warnings and directed to pay their respective fines.
A branch of Betsson, known as NGG Nordic, encountered a hurdle in January of 2022 concerning a previously submitted appeal. Although the Swedish Gaming Authority lowered the original penalty from 19 million Swedish Krona to 14 million, the result was not what the business desired.
