Spelinspektionen, the Gambling Inspectorate of Sweden, has issued bans against two online casino operators for offering unlicensed games and services.
Updating its enforcement panel, the Inspectorate revealed that it has imposed direct bans on Altacore NV and Wino.casino.
Curaçao-licensed Altacore NV is accused of targeting Swedish consumers by offering Swedish language options and promotions across its stable of websites.The enforcement case against Altacore NV detailed that its casinos had been promoted via affiliates and streamers on Twitch, clearly marketing its brands to Swedish audiences.
Known to Spelinspektionen, Altacore operates the websites Betify, Wintopia, Flappy, Yonibet, Luckyhour, Cosmicslot, Winlegends, Casinozer, Rollino, Gamblezen, Spinsbro and Icebet.
Under investigation, the Inspectorate found that users could pre-select Sweden as their country at registration and that Altacore websites offered specific terms and conditions for Swedish customers.
Following warnings, Altacore responded by geoblocking Swedish IPs; however, Spelinspektionen discovered that the operator had redirected traffic and users to new “skin” sites under the same brands, still marketed to Swedes but without ownership details listed.
The enforcement against Wino.casino centred on the fact that the website defaulted to Swedish language settings when accessed from a Swedish IP address and displayed the Swedish flag as a marker for users.
Consumers were also able to pre-select Sweden as their country of registration, while Spelinspektionen uncovered that the brand was promoted directly to local audiences through affiliates and targeted SMS campaigns – evidence that “clearly demonstrated Wino.casino was seeking to attract Swedish players without the required licence.”
Targeting Swedish consumers, Wino.casino provided no information about its ownership, company address, or licensing in any jurisdiction. With no accountability for its operations, the regulator imposed an immediate ban on the site’s activities.
Bigger debate on Casino Channelisation While Spelinspektionen has powers to levy heavy fines of up to 10% of annual turnover against licensed operators in breach of Swedish law, no such penalties can be imposed on unlicensed operators. As such, the enforcement action against Altacore and Wino.casino is limited to prohibition orders and market access blocking, without the possibility of financial sanctions.
Enforcements against unlicensed casinos have become a regulatory concern for Spelinspektionen and wider Swedish authorities. The Inspectorate’s latest market report for online gambling highlighted that, for a sixth consecutive year, the channelisation rate of online casino (the percentage of consumer spend with licensed operators) has failed to meet the re-regulation target of 90%.
Since 2020, online casino channelisation has hovered between 75% and 80%, well below the levels envisaged by the Gambling Act’s re-regulation of the market. The shortfall has increased pressure from licensed operators, who argue that restrictions on bonuses and gameplay interventions have undermined their competitiveness against offshore sites.
Industry trade body BOS has demanded an inquiry into the liabilities of online casino regulation and their impact on channelisation, urging reforms to be included in the new Gambling Act recommendations that will be presented to the Riksdag later this year by independent adjudicator Marcus Isgren.
September 15 will see SBC organise a groundbreaking charity football event in Lisbon. Make sure you get the chance to see some of the most legendary names in football by securing your ticket today at https://www.legendscharitygame.com/
