Swedish Supreme Administrative Court Upholds Penalties for Gambling Operators
The Swedish Supreme Administrative Court has upheld penalties issued by the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) to Kindred Group, ComeOn Group, and Mr Green.
Final Decision on Kindred Group’s Penalty
The court rejected Kindred Group’s request to appeal a SEK30m (€2.6m) penalty imposed on its subsidiary, Spooniker. The fine originated from a 2020 SGA ruling that determined promotions offered in March 2019 violated the Swedish Gambling Act, which allows bonuses only upon first-time customer sign-ups.
Kindred argued that the promotions were “in-game mechanics” without financial incentives, not bonuses. Despite these claims, the Administrative Court in Jönköping and the Court of Appeal both upheld the penalty, though it was reduced from the initial SEK100m (€8.7m) to SEK30m. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear further appeals finalizes this penalty.
ComeOn Group Fined for Unauthorised Bonuses
ComeOn Group and its four brands—ComeOn Sweden, Hajper, Casinostugan, and Snabbare—also faced penalties for unauthorised bonuses and failures in duty of care. Originally fined SEK165m (€14.3m) by the SGA in 2021, the penalties were significantly reduced by the Court of Appeal:
- ComeOn Sweden: SEK35m reduced to SEK13m
- Casinostugan: SEK25m reduced to SEK8m
- Snabbare: SEK65m reduced to SEK24m
- Hajper: SEK40m reduced to SEK14m
ComeOn Group’s subsequent appeal to overturn the fines entirely was dismissed by the Supreme Court, making the reduced penalties final.
Mr Green Penalised for Duty of Care and AML Failures
Mr Green’s appeal against penalties for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) failures and duty of care shortcomings was also denied. The operator was initially fined SEK31.5m (€2.7m) by the SGA in 2021.
After a review, the Court of Appeal reduced the penalties to SEK12m (€1m) for duty of care violations and SEK1.5m (€130,000) for AML failures. With the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the appeal, these penalties are now binding.
Cosmogames Banned from the Swedish Market
In separate news, the SGA has banned Cosmogames from operating in Sweden due to a lack of a valid licence. The company had been providing online gambling services through its Spinarium.com platform and related domains, enabling Swedish consumers to register, access services, and conduct transactions in SEK, in violation of Sweden’s gambling laws.
Cosmogames has been ordered to cease all operations in the country immediately.
