Latest News

Sweden has failed to protect the vulnerable players

Published

5 years ago

November 13, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Ministry of Finance has proposed that the temporary restrictions on the online gambling market, that were introduced on July 2 this year, should be extended to June 30, 2021. The proposed restrictions are a weekly deposit limit of a maximum of SEK 5,000 and that bonus offers are limited to a maximum of 100 SEK.

The Ministry of Finance claimed during the spring that the gaming on online casino was strongly increasing during the pandemic and that the government needed to protect the Swedish consumers.

The minister stated that there where an increase in problem gaming during the spring, but that statement was not based on facts. Neither The Swedish Gambling Authority nor other authorities did see that as a fact.

Scientific studies

This is also something that later on was proofed by scientific studies conducted. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.554542/full

“Results: Total gambling activity decreased by 13.29% during the first phase of the outbreak compared to forecast. Analyses of online gambling data revealed that although betting decreased substantially in synchrony with a slight increase in online casino gambling, there was no increase in likely problematic, high-intensity gambling and neither did total online gambling increase.

Conclusions: This first, preliminary study revealed no increase in Swedish gambling activity, total or specifically online, in the first phase of the covid-19 outbreak. Future research should examine whether pandemic-induced transitioning between gambling modalities and/or increased participation in gambling, leads to long-term effects on prevalence of problem gambling.”

Moving to the unlicensed market

Setting a deposit limit of 5,000 SEK per week does not solve the need to help people who have a gambling problem as it is always possible to gamble at different companies. Alternatively, you can play at the unlicensed companies. The effects will instead be that the individual gaming companies cannot follow the individual players’ behaviour and, if necessary, support it.

7 out of 10

It is an extremely worrying development in Sweden that 7 out of 10 of those who seek help for gambling problems have banned themselves from playing breaks and still continue to play. The idea of a game break is good, but there is a lack of power against the unlicensed gaming companies that target Swedish players and then the problems remain. A first step in resolving this is to prevent the possibility of paying with a number of well-known Swedish payment services at the unlicensed gaming companies. We have to close the holes! (https://www.spelfriheten.se/ Pelretin, organization for gambling addiction.)

This means that the blocking service Spelpaus (Spelpaus enables Swedish gamblers to paus them from all gambling on licensed operators https://www.spelpaus.se/ ) does not fulfil any major function as long as a number of different gaming companies without a Swedish gaming license are allowed to flourish freely. Several help seekers have also told us that these gaming companies provide the opportunity to pay with a number of well-known Swedish payment services

Lack of tax revenue

In 2019, the licensed companies in Sweden paid SEK 3.6 billion to the Treasury. An amount that is now steadily declining in step with the shift to the unlicensed companies.

Focusing on those who try to behave

No unlicensed company or person linked to unlicensed gaming activities has been fined or prosecuted since 1 January 2019, at the same time 26 fines have been issued for a total of 236.4 MSEK against the licensed gaming market.

The government’s mission should be to protect consumers and that should be their priority. On the contrary, the effects have been that they have shifted vulnerable players to the unlicensed companies. Sweden has failed to protect the vulnerable players and the extended regulations will not protect them.

2025 Global Regulatory Awards

Vixio Announces Winners for the 2025 Global Regulatory Awards

Published

36 minutes ago

November 20, 2025

George Miller

vixio-announces-winners-for-the-2025-global-regulatory-awards

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, unveiled its 2025 Global Regulatory Awards (GRAs) winners last night during an event in London.

More than 300 industry leaders, regulatory experts, and esteemed professionals of the global gambling industry attended the prestigious event. The independently judged GRAs recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals, teams, and organisations in the gambling industry who have excelled in compliance, corporate social responsibility, and safer gambling.

The ninth annual awards ceremony recognised winners across 22 categories.
Notable winners on the evening included Playtech, Casino Guru, and Kambi.

Vixio also recognised outstanding individuals, such as Bill Curtis of DraftKings, named Compliance Professional of the Year, Corinne Valletta of Betsson Group, awarded Chief Compliance Officer of the Year, and Wes Himes, who was recognised with the Special Award for Compliance Lifetime Achievement.

“Thank you to everyone who joined us at last night’s Global Regulatory Awards in London,” stated Mike Woolfrey, CEO of Vixio. “This year has seen significant regulatory change across the industry, making the quality of entries even more impressive. Our independent judges did a fantastic job in selecting the winners, who truly represent the highest standards in regulatory compliance. Congratulations to all, and we look forward to welcoming you to the 10th annual Global Regulatory Awards next year!”

Awards were presented by category sponsors: Docaposte, DraftKings, eCOGRA, Gaming Associates and White Bullet.

The award evening was associate-sponsored by: Greentube, San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission, Scientific Games, and Soft2Bet.

The 2026 Global Regulatory Awards presentation will celebrate the 10th annual GRA event and is set to take place on November 18th, returning to the historic Grand Connaught Rooms in Central London.

The official 2025 winners are as follows:

AML or MLR Professional of the Year
Eleni Panagiotopoulou, SOFTSWISS

Award for Commitment to Compliance by a Supplier
GeoComply

Award for Commitment to Compliance by an Operator
Tipico Games

Chief Compliance Officer of the Year
Corinne Valletta, Betsson Group

Compliance Innovator of the Year
Sharp Vision

Compliance Lifetime Achievement Special Award
Wes Himes

Compliance Professional of the Year
Bill Curtis, DraftKings

Compliance Rising Star Special Award
Medisha Moodley, Games Global

Compliance Team of the Year
Playtech

Head of Regulatory Affairs or Government Relations of the Year
Devon Dalbock, GLI

Legal Team of the Year
Kambi

Marketing Compliance Team of the Year
Catena Media

Outstanding Contribution to Safer Gambling
Casino Guru

Outstanding Contribution to Sports Betting Integrity
ALTENAR

Outstanding Individual Contribution to Safer Gambling
Dr. Michael Auer, Neccton

Payment Service or Solution Provider of the Year
Paysafe

RegTech Provider of the Year
Mindway AI

Regulatory Initiative of the Year
Gambling Regulatory Authority (URHH SK)

Regulatory Law Firm of the Year
Bird & Bird

Regulatory Lawyer or In-House Counsel of the Year
Behnam Dayanim, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Responsible Gambling Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BetBlocker

Testing Service or Solution Provider of the Year
BMM Innovation Group

The post Vixio Announces Winners for the 2025 Global Regulatory Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

BGaming

Feel the Chill in BGaming’s Divine Queen: Heart of Ice

Published

36 minutes ago

November 20, 2025

George Miller

feel-the-chill-in-bgaming’s-divine-queen:-heart-of-ice

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Rapidly expanding content provider puts you in the presence of royalty in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice

Popular iGaming content provider BGaming invites players to wrap up warm and explore an icy kingdom in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. Watch the wins snowball in this Olympus-genre pay-anywhere game.

Divine Queen: Heart of Ice pulls inspiration from the iconic Bonanza gameplay mechanics, repackaging them in a winter retro style. The game’s cinematic visuals, combined with a mesmerising soundtrack, help immerse players in this frosty, beautiful world.

The Ice Queen herself also graces players with her presence. This stunning character stands to the right of the game grid, watching over the reels as they spin. She appears as the game’s Scatter symbol and is the key to the Free Spins bonus.

Her carefully curated design should appeal to European and US audiences, while the game’s winter theme makes it accessible year-round.

Players will find the Multiplier Reel on the right of the grid in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. This starts at x1 and progresses by one with each winning cascade. The multiplier does not reset during the free spins bonus, helping the wins to pile up. Players can also use the Buy Bonus feature to enter the Free Spins round and gain instant access to the action.

The bonus features are not the only magic conjured up in Divine Queen: Heart of Ice. The slot serves up a tantalising maximum win of x5,000, and rounds out an impressive maths model with an attractive 97% RTP.

Ruslan Shakhlovich, Game Designer at BGaming, said, The game has been designed to be highly engaging, with progressive mechanics and a proven math model that will keep players returning. Divine Queen: Heart of Ice arrives just in time for the winter months, and we are confident it will do an excellent job of distracting players from the cold.”

The post Feel the Chill in BGaming’s Divine Queen: Heart of Ice appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Blueprint Gaming

Blueprint Gaming unwraps a trio of festive favourites with three iconic series reimagined for Christmas

Published

2 hours ago

November 20, 2025

George Miller

blueprint-gaming-unwraps-a-trio-of-festive-favourites-with-three-iconic-series-reimagined-for-christmas

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Blueprint Gaming is kicking off the festive season with the launch of Saint Nicked 3 Present Tense, the first of three Christmas-themed releases that see some of its most iconic series reimagined with charming festive visuals, enriched graphics and immersive seasonal experiences designed to delight operator player bases worldwide.

The yuletide rollout continues in December with Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Christmas Catch Jackpot King arriving on 4th December, followed by the blockbuster release of Kong Even Bigger Christmas on 11th December.

Launching today, Saint Nicked 3 Present Tense captivates with its mischievous festive flair, featuring enhanced Christmas aesthetics across its characters and classic money collects. The beloved duo make a snow-dusted comeback, complete with upgraded visual effects and seasonal touches that amplify engagement throughout the holiday period.

On 4^th December, players will then be reintroduced to one of the industry’s most recognisable franchises with Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Christmas Catch Jackpot King.

The festive reinvention blends the timeless simplicity and broad appeal of the original series with a fully re-themed winter environment, combining frosty settings and holiday-inspired symbols with Blueprint’s iconic Jackpot King progressive system.

The newly introduced Express Bet also provides players with an optional festive surprise. Available at 1.5x the total bet, the feature doubles the chance of triggering bonus play. The result is a high-performing seasonal variant tailored to boost operator performance in December.

Blueprint rounds off its Christmas trilogy on 11th December with the arrival of Kong Even Bigger Christmas, transforming the studio’s epic Ape-powered franchise into a snow-covered festive spectacle.

Across all three launches, Blueprint Gaming reinforces its strategy of refreshing its strongest collections of titles with reimagined releases that stay true to their signature gameplay, while offering operators new opportunities to elevate their offerings during one of the busiest periods of the calendar year.

Jo Purvis, Director of Marketing, PR and Events at Blueprint Gaming, said: “Our Christmas trilogy brings together some of Blueprint’s most iconic series, each lovingly reimagined with festive charm, refreshed graphics and engaging seasonal features. These titles give operators the perfect opportunity to offer players familiar favourites wrapped in magic, warmth and a sense of festive fun.

“Saint Nicked 3: Present Tense sets the tone, with Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Christmas Catch Jackpot King and Kong Even Bigger Christmas continuing the momentum through December. It’s a line-up designed to elevate seasonal engagement and deliver standout entertainment across the holidays.”

The post Blueprint Gaming unwraps a trio of festive favourites with three iconic series reimagined for Christmas appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.