Spelinspektionen Investigates Underage Participation in Bingolotto
Last year, Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority, received reports that an underage player had participated in Bingolotto, a televised lottery show run by Folkspel, on December 23, 2023. Folkspel confirmed the incident in January, acknowledging that a minor had called in and taken part in the game.
Lack of Identity and Age Verification
In a June 25 filing, Spelinspektionen highlighted the absence of technical measures to verify the identity or age of players calling into Bingolotto.
At the time of the incident, there was no reason to suspect that the ticket was purchased by a minor. The show’s general conditions clearly state that ticket buyers must be at least 18 years old.
Past Issues and Admission by Folkspel
Folkspel admitted that there had been previous instances where underage players participated using tickets bought by adults, typically parents or guardians. This recurrent issue prompted Spelinspektionen to request further information from Folkspel in March.
In response to the investigation, Folkspel conducted an internal review and implemented several changes to prevent future breaches. As of March 31, Folkspel introduced a manual age check for players before they can participate in Bingolotto.
Additionally, they have started developing a technical solution to automatically verify players’ social security numbers to ensure compliance with age restrictions.