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.

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CasinoCanada partners with FortuneJack to expand crypto casino coverage

Published

36 minutes ago

May 4, 2026

Wladimir P.

casinocanada-partners-with-fortunejack-to-expand-crypto-casino-coverage

CasinoCanada.com has partnered with FortuneJack crypto casino to increase FortuneJack’s visibility and drive traffic via CasinoCanada’s content channels in non-regulated Canadian markets.

Under the deal, CasinoCanada will create and publish informational content focused on FortuneJack’s features and gaming portfolio. The material will be integrated into CasinoCanada’s review and comparison sections, which the company said is intended to expand coverage and improve user navigation.

CasinoCanada is an online casino guide focused on the Canadian market and operated by SEOBROTHERS. Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at SEOBROTHERS, said: “Our objective is to provide users with structured information about FortuneJack’s platform and support consistent traffic development. With crypto casinos rapidly growing in popularity and becoming an increasingly important segment of the iGaming industry, we see strong potential in this direction and aim to help users navigate it with clarity and confidence.”

FortuneJack, established in 2012, said it offers over 3,500 games, including more than 2,700 slots, from providers including Pragmatic Play, Yggdrasil, Betsoft Gaming, Red Tiger, GameArt, and PG Soft. The operator also lists up to 135 live casino games and betting across 50 sports. FortuneJack is operated by PlayWave SRL and is registered and licensed under Anjouan laws.

Sally Betanishvili, Brand Manager at FortuneJack, said: “At FortuneJack, Since 2014 our priority is staying at the forefront of the iGaming evolution by offering a premier crypto-gaming experience. Partnering with CasinoCanada allows us to bring our extensive portfolio of over 6000+ games to a wider Canadian audience that values transparency and variety. We are excited to work with a partner that shares our commitment to helping players navigate the exciting world of crypto casinos with confidence.” The companies said the partnership will focus on ongoing content development, increased platform visibility, and user acquisition initiatives across CasinoCanada’s media channels.

The post CasinoCanada partners with FortuneJack to expand crypto casino coverage appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

Stake launches in Mexico via Uno Capali permit structure

Published

36 minutes ago

May 4, 2026

Wladimir P.

stake-launches-in-mexico-via-uno-capali-permit-structure

Stake has launched its online casino and sportsbook in Mexico, going live on the stake.mx domain as the operator continues its expansion across regulated Latin American markets.

The company said it will operate in Mexico under a permit-based structure regulated by SEGOB (the Ministry of Interior), acting as an agent under Uno Capali’s licence agreement.

Stake positioned the timing around Mexico’s role as a co-host of the 2026 World Cup alongside the USA and Canada, citing the event’s potential for customer acquisition and brand-building.

Stake Director Jarrod Febbraio said: “Mexico is an important and exciting market for us – one that combines strong underlying growth with a deep cultural connection to sport, which aligns perfectly with what Stake is built for.

“We’ve built significant momentum across Latin America in recent years, including in markets such as Peru and Colombia, and Mexico represents a natural next step given its scale and long-term potential.

“With Mexico set to co-host the 2026 football World Cup tournament, the timing of this launch reflects our ability to move with precision into high-value markets at the right moment. It gives us the opportunity to establish a strong presence ahead of one of the biggest sporting events in the world and deliver a world-class experience for Mexican players.”

The post Stake launches in Mexico via Uno Capali permit structure appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BLAST

Team Vitality sweeps NAVI 3-0 to win BLAST Rivals Spring 2026

Published

36 minutes ago

May 4, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-sweeps-navi-3-0-to-win-blast-rivals-spring-2026

Team Vitality won BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas, defeating Natus Vincere 3-0 in the Counter-Strike 2 grand final, according to the organisation’s announcement.

BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 featured eight teams and a $350,000 prize pool. Vitality opened with a 2-1 win over FUT Esports, then beat G2 2-1 in the group winner’s match to book a semifinal spot.

In the semifinals, Vitality moved past GamerLegion 2-0 to reach the final, where it completed a clean sweep of NAVI.

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was named tournament MVP. Vitality also positioned the result as its fifth title of the season and noted it followed its IEM Rio victory and a record of two ESL Grand Slam titles.

The post Team Vitality sweeps NAVI 3-0 to win BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.