Latest News
BOS Claims Swedish Banking Institutions Have Suspended Services Provided to Licensed Gambling Operators
Gustaf Hoffstedt, secretary-general of the Swedish trade association Branscheforenigen för Onlinespel (BOS), has claimed that all of the country’s major banking institutions have suspended services they provide to licensed gambling operators.
BOS said that “all major Nordic banks” – including SEB, Swedbank, Nordea, Handelsbanken, DNB Nor and Danske Bank – stopped providing services to Swedish-licensed gambling operators at some point this year.
Claiming this is in violation of Swedish law, Hoffstedt has filed a complaint to the country’s Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen).
Most of these banks, Hoffstedt said, cited internal risk assessments or Sweden’s Anti-Money Laundering Act (PTL) as the reasons for account closures. The BOS secretary-general added that “in some cases the banks have not stated any reason at all”.
“As far as I am aware, no concrete justification for the dismissals and banks’ assessment has been provided in any case,” Hoffstedt said.
Hoffstedt added that gambling operators cannot function without banking services.
“Online gambling companies are, as stated above, dependent on basic financial infrastructure in the form of banking and payment services to conduct their business,” he explained. “This requires [them] to be able to store customers’ funds as well as receive deposits and make payments to customers.”
He added that the suspension of services meant that operators could no longer use Bank-ID, used to verify players’ identities. This meant they had lost access to a tool that was vital for fighting fraud and money laundering, Hoffstedt.
“Without access to the Bank-ID system, online gambling companies need to use alternative solutions to identify their customers. These solutions risk being neither as effective for companies nor as safe for users,” he explained.
Swedish Banks also provide the Swish payment service, which Hoffstedt said was also “very important” for operators.
Hoffstedt said that the banks’ decisions had worsened operating conditions for the country’s igaming licensees, as well as counteracting the goals of the Gambling Act.
He went as far as arguing that the actions were illegal.
Hoffstedt said banks have a contractual obligation to continue to provide banking services to these customers, unless there is a clear reason to break this agreement. Only in incidents where continuing to provide banking services would violate the PTL, or if the banking customer had committed misconduct, could agreements be broken, he claimed.
While Hoffstedt noted that banks may terminate agreements if they suspect a customer has connections to money laundering, he pointed out the PTL made clear that these assessments are at the customer level. They can, therefore, not be applied on a sweeping basis to a legal industry.
“Given that a large proportion of BOS members also received notice or notice of termination from the banks – all with general and overarching references to the risk of money laundering in the business – it seems obvious that the basis for the dismissals is a general business policy decision rather than a valid application of PTL,” he said.
“Under these circumstances, there is no possibility for the banks to deviate from their contractual obligation.”
BOS requested a dialogue with the Financial Supervisory Authority and said the regulator “should initiate a supervisory investigation of the banks’ handling and possibly intervene against the banks”.
SEB – one of the banks mentioned by BOS – however, argued it was not systematically ending relationships with gambling operators but rather examined the risk for every client on an individual basis.
“We always make an individual assessment of individual client relationships,“ SEB said. “When it comes to gambling companies, we generally have a cautious approach based on the raised risk level, not least connected to risks relating to money laundering and financial crime.”
Danske Bank, meanwhile, denied it had a policy specifically preventing gambling businesses from operating, but did say these businesses undergo a stricter screening process.
“Danske Bank does not exclude banking services for gambling operations as such,” Danske Bank said. “However, our assessment is that the gambling industry in general is associated with high risk and due to that we have tailored screening principles to ensure that the companies operate responsibly.
“In a case where a specific gambling client does not meet the requirements of our KYC-process or ESG-assessment, the ultimate consequence could be that we limit our offerings or refrain from enter into a business relationship.”
Powered by WPeMatico
Alex Scott Chief Product Officer at Tequity
Q&A with Tequity’s new Chief Product Officer Alex Scott
Following his appointment as Chief Product Officer at iGaming software pioneer Tequity, industry veteran Alex Scott outlines his vision for the company’s expanding product suite. With over 20 years of leadership experience, including driving WPT Global to become the world’s second-largest online poker room, he shares his insights on how Tequity’s approach is redefining both the games players enjoy and the way they are distributed.
You have held senior leadership roles at major operators and suppliers. What convinced you to join Tequity, and what are your main priorities as CPO?
Tequity is a business that I’ve admired since I first became aware of it. In that time I’ve heard so many positive things about how the company is able to move very quickly and decisively, while still delivering ultra high quality products for its partners. When I started interviewing for the position and meeting the people involved, that only reinforced the positive impression I had. It was clear to me that this was a company that is at the forefront of innovation in the iGaming space, creating and delivering content that is fresh and exciting.
My priority as CPO is to further accelerate the development of top-quality products that are highly relevant to today’s players. I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in – there are so many possibilities!
Tequity recently secured BMM Testlabs certification for its RNG and the first batch of Originals titles. How does that accelerate your product roadmap?
This certification will open up many more potential customers for Tequity, and therefore many more opportunities for businesses to take advantage of Tequity’s services, like our bespoke Exclusives and our top-performing Originals. Operators fighting for market share are always looking for those added-value elements that can set them apart from the competition and our fully brandable, customisable and feature-packed content offers that key point of difference.
It will also enable the studios using our RGS and Publishing solutions to widen their own distribution and reach many more potential customers as well – just another reason to choose our RGS. We have seen the strong demand for our games and solutions from partners all over the world, and we believe that this appetite will be more than matched by operators in the regulated market space.
Finally, it represents s a step towards a wider regulated market expansion which I am excited to be involved in.
Player preferences are moving decisively toward fast-paced, community-driven experiences. How do Tequity’s game divisions cater to this next generation of player engagement?
One of the things that sets Tequity apart is that the company truly understands what the modern generation of players are looking for. They are discovering online casino in a very different way to past generations, and require simpler, easier to understand, more socially-driven content if you want their full attention. Today’s players expect instant gratification and seamless, mobile-first experiences that fit into their fast-paced lifestyles. They also want gameplay to feel like less of a solitary activity and more of a shared event.
Having spent recent months immersed in casino game development for the crypto generation, I’m really looking forward to contributing to these efforts and having an impact of my own.
You will be joining the Tequity team at iGB Live in London next month. What is the key takeaway you want operators and studios to leave with?
As the newest Tequity signing, I’m looking forward to meeting the rest of the team and many of our partners and customers at iGB Live.
Tequity is an extremely fast and capable company that builds high-quality, interesting products at the cutting-edge of the industry. My hope is that operators and studios leave the event understanding our expertise and capabilities. But I also want them to leave with a sense of the enthusiasm and passion that we have for building great games that stand out from the crowd.
The post Q&A with Tequity’s new Chief Product Officer Alex Scott appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Ariel Reem CEO at Games Valley
Games Valley adds SPRIBE’s Aviator crash game to aggregation platform
Deal adds the flagship crash title to Games Valley’s operator distribution network via a single integration.
Games Valley has added SPRIBE’s crash game Aviator to its aggregation platform, extending operator access to the supplier’s flagship title.
Under the agreement, Aviator will be distributed through Games Valley’s platform to its network of operators across regulated and emerging markets.
SPRIBE said Aviator reaches more than 77 million monthly active players, processes over 400,000 bets per minute, and accounts for more than 90% of the global crash-game market.
Ariel Reem, CEO at Games Valley, said: “Aviator is one of those rare games that has become a category-defining product. For operators, this is exactly the kind of content that can make an immediate impact. At Games Valley, we’re focused on giving operators access to the games players already know and trust, while helping them maximise performance through a fast, flexible aggregation platform.”
Giorgi Tsutskiridze, CCO at SPRIBE, said: “Games Valley has built a strong reputation as a modern aggregation partner for operators that want access to premium casino content quickly, efficiently and reliably. Through this partnership, we are able to bring Aviator to a wider network of operators through a platform that understands the value of proven, high-performing content in both established and fast-growing markets.”
The post Games Valley adds SPRIBE’s Aviator crash game to aggregation platform appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
Microgaming expands Playboy-branded live casino and adds new slot
Playboy Gems and Desires launches 10 June as the supplier highlights roulette and faster baccarat formats in Microgaming Live.
Microgaming is spotlighting its official Playboy partnership across live casino and slots, as it continues to build a portfolio of Playboy-branded content for operators. The company said its latest slot, Playboy Gems and Desires, launched on 10 June.
In live casino, Microgaming said Playboy Roulette is positioned as the core title within a wider Playboy-branded suite available through Microgaming Live. The supplier said the live range includes multiple table formats presented in a branded studio environment.
Microgaming also pointed to Playboy Speed Baccarat, which it said runs rounds 30% faster than standard baccarat and includes features such as multi-table mode, side bets, statistics and racetrack bets.
Across the live product line-up, the company said the Playboy branding extends to elements including Playboy Bunny presenters, branded tables and live chat, alongside operator-facing marketing options. On slots, Microgaming said Playboy Gems and Desires includes Wild stacks, B-U-N-N-Y-triggered Free Spins, a Jackpot Wheel and a top win potential of up to 5,000x the bet.
A Microgaming spokesperson said: “Playboy is a brand with a unique place in popular culture, and our official partnership gives us the opportunity to build something that feels much broader than a single table or title. What makes this relationship so exciting is the ability to bring that unmistakable sense of style and premium entertainment to life across various formats. Playboy Gems and Desires is the latest chapter in that story, and a strong example of how the Playboy identity can continue to evolve across both slots and live casino.”
The post Microgaming expands Playboy-branded live casino and adds new slot appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
Asia7 days agoS8UL’s League of Legends roster qualifies to represent India at Asian Games 2026
-
DBET7 days agoHockeyAllsvenskan names DBET main partner in three-year deal from 2026/27
-
Australia5 days agoFormer Star Entertainment Executives Mathias Bekier and Paula Martin Disqualified and Ordered to Pay Penalties
-
CFTC6 days agoNovig Secures CFTC Designation, Bringing the First Prediction Market Built for Sports Fans Nationwide
-
Alberta6 days agoMediaTroopers lines up eight operator partners ahead of Alberta launch
-
LatAm6 days agoInnovative payment solutions provider teams up with leading LATAM fintech platform to expand digital wallet access for online betting customers in Mexico
-
Alberta6 days agoWhy Alberta Represents the Next Major Growth Opportunity for Gaming Operators
-
Alina Mihaela Popa Chief Commercial Officer at ICONIC216 days agoICONIC21 launches live casino and RNG titles with Maxbet in Romania



