Online gambling operator L&L Europe Limited has been slapped with a fine in Sweden for sending promotional materials to self-excluded gamblers after the reorganization of the local online gambling market in January 2019.
The Swedish gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, announced earlier this week that it has imposed a SEK600,000 (approx. $60,000) fine on L&L Europe for violations of self-exclusion rules that are part of its obligations as a locally licensed operator.
L&L Europe is a Malta-based online gambling company that manages a multi-brand online casino portfolio. The operator obtained a license from Spelinspektionen in late 2018 and was able to enter the Swedish market shortly after its reorganization.
Aside from the Swedish Gambling Authority, L&L Europe also holds licenses from the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission, which means that its multi-brand portfolio is available across some of Europe’s largest markets.
In an investigation into L&L Europe’s activities after the liberalization of the Swedish iGaming market, Spelinspektionen uncovered that the company had failed to comply with rules relating to its obligatory participation in Sweden’s self-exclusion program.
Under Sweden’s gambling law, all locally licensed gambling operators must connect with Spelpaus.se, the country’s self-exclusion register, in order to ensure that their services are provided in a socially responsible manner and that they offer customers the chance to disconnect themselves from all gambling options available in the country, if they feel they might be developing gambling addiction or other gambling-related problems.
A Penalty and a Warning
As mentioned above, L&L Europe was hit with a SEK600,000 fine for its failings. The company also received a warning from Spelinspektionen that any further violations would be treated in a harsher manner.
This is not the first time L&L Europe faced regulatory scolding in Sweden over sending promotional materials to self-excluded gambling customers.
Last year, the Swedish Consumer Agency (KO) chastised the gambling operator for trying to lure self-excluded players back into gambling by sending them promotional materials across various communication channels.
The consumer protection agency issued an injunction to the online gambling operator and warned it that it could be imposed a fine of up to SEK2 million for any future breaches of the rules.
The consumer watchdog probed L&L Europe’s Karl Casino in June 2019. Following the KO investigation, the gambling operator highlighted several instances when it had sent marketing materials to self-excluded gamblers.
In the first such instance, the company had reached out to two customers who had not provided their personal ID numbers when opening an account with Karl Casino. In two other instances, marketing materials had been sent to players by a third-party avertising partner of L&L Europe. The operator told the KO that it had parted ways with that partner.
Source: L&L Europe Limited receives warning and penalty fee
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