Videoslots fined over €1 million for failing to prevent excessive gambling
According to the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen), Videoslots Ltd did not fulfill its obligation under the Swedish Gambling Act to help players reduce excessive gambling. The company failed to implement sufficiently effective interventions, monitor their impact, or respond quickly when problem gambling indicators were present.
Investigation and evidence
The Swedish Gambling Authority fined Videoslots SEK 12 million after a regulatory review. The investigation found that the company failed to help users reduce their gambling, even when clear risks were present. Videoslots operates the sites videoslots.com and videoslots.se. The authority determined that the operator breached Chapter 14, Section 1 of the Swedish Gambling Act, which covers duty of care.
Videoslots used an automated system to monitor player behavior. This system flagged risk indicators and assigned severity scores. However, the company often responded only with pop-up messages or emails. Even when players showed signs of loss-chasing or excessive play, it rarely imposed meaningful restrictions.
Several young users (aged 18–24) lost more than SEK 40,000 (€3,500) over a three-month period. One user made up to 28 deposits in a single day. Another placed bets totaling SEK 4 million (€340,000) within a month.
Authority: Responses came too late
The regulator emphasized that gambling harm can escalate within hours or days, particularly in online casino environments. Therefore, actions to protect players must be swift and effective. In one case, a customer deposited over SEK 500,000 in the ten weeks after being flagged for intervention – without further restrictions being applied.
Videoslots claimed it had acted according to legal requirements and that ambiguity in the law and data protection rules limited its ability to act more forcefully. The company also highlighted improvements made during and after the investigation. However, Spelinspektionen concluded that these changes were too late and that the legal framework was sufficiently clear throughout the review period.
Due to the serious and systematic shortcomings identified, Spelinspektionen issued a warning and imposed a fine of over €1 million. It noted that while license revocation could have been considered, the company’s recent measures – if fully implemented – may help bring it into compliance. Five of the affected users were under 25, which was considered an aggravating factor.