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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.

Danny Gordon Head of Studio at DEGEN Studios

Zoomania: DEGEN Studios’ wild new frontier

Published

13 minutes ago

April 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

zoomania:-degen-studios’-wild-new-frontier

This isn’t an expedition. It’s the fittest that survive.

DEGEN opens the cage door to Zoomania, a 5-reel, 4-row video slot situated in a realm where instinct reigns and survival is far from assured.

Set in a landscape of steel, shadows, and flashing neon, Zoomania presents players with a lineup of powerful beings like lions, gorillas, and reptiles, each contributing their unique impact to this extremely high-volatility game.

A key aspect of Zoomania is the Top Feature Row, positioned above the reels, which can trigger strong modifiers at any time. Expanding Wilds, multipliers, Wild Converters, and even Super Scatters can appear unexpectedly, altering the grid and forming wins that seemed impossible moments before.

The outcome is a fundamental game that continually changes. One instant the reels seem stable, the next a feature activates and the result changes drastically.

Zoomania presents several bonus paths, each featuring varying levels of intensity. From the dynamic Prison Break feature to the unpredictable Feral Instinct and the extremely rare Beast Mode, the game enables players to encounter increasing degrees of disorder as the session progresses.

Danny Gordon, Head of Studio at DEGEN Studios, said: “Zoomania shows a different side of DEGEN. It looks vibrant, but there’s an eerie edge running through it, and the gameplay keeps shifting under your feet. That tension creates something wildly unpredictable, where no two sessions play out the same.

Step inside. Trigger the chaos. Unleash the wild.”

The post Zoomania: DEGEN Studios’ wild new frontier appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Affiliate Succes

Gaming in Europe Webinar — Inside the Rise of Illegal Affiliate Marketing: Tactics & Countermeasures

Published

13 minutes ago

April 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

gaming-in-europe-webinar-—-inside-the-rise-of-illegal-affiliate-marketing:-tactics-&-countermeasures

To raise awareness of the increasing issue of illegal affiliate marketing affecting licensed markets, Gaming in Europe will conduct a webinar called “Understanding the rise of illegal affiliate marketing: Techniques & solutions” on Thursday, April 16, at 14:00 CET.

An increasing issue

Due to the rising significance of online platforms – particularly in conjunction with limitations on broadcast and print advertising – affiliate marketing has emerged as a more vital route for participants to discover and locate the iGaming operators that suit their requirements.

The battle for recognition

Unauthorized affiliates, along with the larger entities supporting them, not only enhance the exposure of illicit offers; they frequently also manage to diminish the visibility of licensed operators and affiliates advocating licensed offers.

This webinar will detail the tactics that unlawful affiliates employ to enhance their own visibility while diminishing that of their legitimate rivals. Additionally, this webinar will examine the actions that legal affiliates, licensed operators, and regulators can implement to reduce the effects of unlawful affiliate marketing.

A problem affecting all of Europe

Since offshore online gambling operators and their related illegal affiliates typically function on a European or even worldwide scale, this webinar will be pertinent to stakeholders in all regulated or soon-to-be-regulated online gambling markets, such as Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland, and others.

#TakeBackTheMarket

Founder Willem van Oort of Gaming in Europe stated: “Aligned with Gaming in Europe’s larger goal to assist legal stakeholders against unlawful and unfair competition – concisely captured as #ReclaimTheMarket – we have opted to examine more closely the reasons and consequences of the rising influence of illegal affiliate marketing.” We will examine some of the dubious tactics employed by illegal affiliates and also investigate what advocates of the legal market, including regulators and licensed operators, can do to combat this.”

Speakers

Timothy Malmros Genach, expert in SEO, Magenti Media

Dr. Andreas Ditsche, Chief Executive Officer, iGaming.com

Frank op de Woerd, Hoofdredacteur, CasinoNieuws

Sign-up

Participation in this webinar is complimentary. Tap here to sign up.

The post Gaming in Europe Webinar — Inside the Rise of Illegal Affiliate Marketing: Tactics & Countermeasures appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Albert Zorrilla

Zitro Wins 2026 EXPOJOC Innovation Award

Published

13 minutes ago

April 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

zitro-wins-2026-expojoc-innovation-award

Zitro has been honored for the second consecutive year with the EXPOJOC Innovation Award, a recognition that positions the company as a leading example of innovation within the gaming industry and highlights its ongoing ability to bring new products to casinos, bingo halls, gaming venues and bars across Spain.

The award was accepted by Albert Zorrilla, General Manager of Zitro Spain, who expressed his gratitude on behalf of the entire company: “Receiving this award for the second consecutive year is a great honor for everyone at Zitro. It is also a reflection of the dedication and effort our team puts into developing products that truly make a difference for our clients — helping them drive better results from their operations and continuously offering them more innovative and competitive offerings.”

Zitro’s strong commitment to innovation is also evident in the significant investment the company makes in R&D, which has enabled it to develop in-house technology, expand its portfolio, and further strengthen its international footprint. A clear testament to this is its two technology campuses in Barcelona and Bangalore, together spanning over 20,000 square meters dedicated exclusively to game creation and development.

The post Zitro Wins 2026 EXPOJOC Innovation Award appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.