Spelinspektionen took action against the gambling group after identifying that its Immerion website was targeting Swedish players despite not being locally licensed. The ban is effective immediately, with Goodwin NV able to appeal the decision.
Goodwin’s Immerion site was investigated due to suspicions that it was aiming games at the Swedish market without a licence. In a test purchase, Immerion was found to be in breach of Sweden’s Gambling Act because Sweden-based customers were able to create an account.
Immerion also had a FAQ section and other information available in Swedish, with marketing from affiliates also targeting Swedish customers.
What the ban means for Goodwin NV
The Swedish Gambling Authority typically does not issue fines against businesses without a Swedish base, considering this an ineffective practice. The ban is therefore an opportunity to highlight to Swedish consumers that the banned operator is not licensed. It will also be taken into account should the gambling group ever apply for a Swedish licence.
The ban also means that operators such as affiliates and payment providers are aware that the business is not licensed. The Swedish Gambling Authority also has the option of applying for payment blocking of a specific account. Luckyluck Ltd, which is registered in Cyprus, is the payment operator of Goodwin N.V and the Immerion site.
Immerion’s website is available in more than 20 languages, including English, Swedish, German, Indonesian and Japanese.
The list of gambling groups banned in Sweden under the Gambling Act is dominated by entities headquartered in Curaçao. Cosmogames NV, Galaktika NV, MRSL NV, Santeda International BV, Small House BV and Jer-Team NV were among those banned in 2024 alone.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/licensing/sweden-bans-another-curacao-based-gambling-group/
