Swedish Gambling Authority Imposes Multi-Operator Fines for AML Shortcomings
On June 2, 2025, the Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, announced continued rigorous enforcement efforts throughout 2025, with Betsson Nordic Ltd among three operators penalized for deficiencies in their anti-money laundering (AML) procedures. Betsson received a formal warning along with a SEK6.5 million (approximately $682,272) fine following an investigation into its AML practices within Sweden. The regulator’s scrutiny began on May 2, 2024, focusing primarily on transactions from 2023. As part of this review, Spelinspektionen selected 10 customers for detailed examination—chosen from a list of 50 players aged 18 to 29 with the highest total deposits.
Betsson was asked to provide customer identification documents and transaction histories for these individuals. Out of the ten cases, only two were found to be free of deficiencies. However, the remaining eight revealed significant concerns. Notably, one customer had made 163 deposits totaling SEK491,950 between September 19 and December 30, 2023, despite having an annual net income of SEK310,000. The customer’s risk level was classified as only low to medium, yet Betsson legitimized deposits exceeding the customer’s income by referencing prior winnings withdrawals, raising questions about the adequacy of its AML controls. Spelinspektionen described these deficiencies as “both serious and systematic,” and considering Betsson’s financial position, decided that a SEK6.5 million sanction was appropriate. The authority emphasized that “the sanction fee is proportionate to the seriousness of the violation.”
Betsson’s penalties are part of a broader pattern of enforcement actions. Alongside Betsson, two other prominent operators—Snabbare Ltd and The Stars Group (TSG) Interactive—also received fines and warnings from Spelinspektionen for similar AML shortcomings. TSG Interactive, owned by Flutter Entertainment, was fined SEK7 million after the regulator found that the company permitted multiple customers to exceed net deposits of SEK424,514 within a 365-day period without conducting the necessary enhanced due diligence or verifying the source of funds, as mandated by AML regulations. Spelinspektionen noted that “the Swedish Gambling Authority assesses that TSG’s customer due diligence regarding the audited customers has been insufficient,” and added that “TSG has not taken adequate enhanced customer due diligence measures at all or in time, and has thus not been able to assess the risk of being exposed to money laundering.”
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Snabbare Ltd faced a sanction of SEK5.5 million, with the regulator criticizing the operator for accepting deposit amounts that exceeded customers’ annual incomes. The regulator pointed out that the company’s customer knowledge was insufficient and that delayed responses to suspicious activity increased the risk of exploitation for money laundering purposes. Collectively, the regulator described the failings of these three operators as “serious and systematic,” resulting in total fines amounting to SEK19 million.
This enforcement wave follows a series of recent actions by Spelinspektionen. Just last week, the authority imposed fines on several organizations involved in lotteries, including political and charitable entities, for failing to properly oversee contractors and for violations related to marketing. The Swedish Social Democratic Workers’ Party, the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League, and the Swedish Social Democratic Women’s League were fined SEK3 million collectively. Earlier in May, Kindred’s subsidiary Spooniker was fined SEK10 million for AML deficiencies, while in April, Videoslots was ordered to pay SEK12 million for inadequate measures against excessive gambling. As the Swedish regulatory landscape continues to tighten its focus on AML compliance, operators face mounting pressure to strengthen their controls and uphold the highest standards of responsible gambling and financial integrity. enforcement
