Latest News

BOS Claims Swedish Banking Institutions Have Suspended Services Provided to Licensed Gambling Operators

Published

5 years ago

April 26, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

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.”

Eastern Europe

ELA Games reports 244.52% active user growth in Romania

Published

2 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

ela-games-reports-244.52%-active-user-growth-in-romania

Supplier links the uplift to classic-style slots with modern features, including Joker Winpot, as bet counts rise 239.74%.

ELA Games says it has expanded in Romania after rolling out titles that pair classic slot aesthetics with modern gameplay features.

The supplier reported a 244.52% increase in active users in Romania and a 239.74% rise in bet counts. The company attributed the performance to what it described as a “natural path” for traditional players to move into more feature-led play.

Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director of ELA Games, said: “It is great to see how Romanian players are enjoying the way we combine classic symbols with modern features. Joker Winpot works well for those who love the traditional look but actually want more excitement from their play. We also see that once players feel comfortable with these mechanics, they are happy to explore our other top titles which have proved to be successful in Romania like Cash of Gods and Flames Fruit Frenzy. It proves that respecting what players like is the best way to introduce new ideas to the market.”

ELA Games did not disclose the timeframe for the reported increases, which operators it works with in Romania, or how the metrics were calculated.

The post ELA Games reports 244.52% active user growth in Romania appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Belatra

Belatra Games confirms Lima trip for Peru Gaming Show 2026

Published

2 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

belatra-games-confirms-lima-trip-for-peru-gaming-show-2026

Slots developer plans partner meetings and private events around PGS on 17-18 June at the Jockey Exhibition Center.

Belatra Games will attend Peru Gaming Show (PGS) 2026 in Lima on 17-18 June, with the company confirming plans to use the event for meetings with existing clients and prospective partners.

PGS, now in its 23rd year, will be held at the Jockey Exhibition Center. Belatra said it will have a team present throughout the show to discuss its slots portfolio and explore commercial opportunities in Peru as part of its broader Latin America strategy.

Alongside the trade show schedule, Belatra said it will host a private “Belatra Cocktail Experience” for partners and run a watch party on 16 June for Argentina’s match against Algeria.

The company also noted it will attend SBC Americas in Fort Lauderdale ahead of PGS, describing the event as an opportunity to meet operators from North and Latin America and present “LatAm-ready content”.

Lucila M. Barletta, Head of Accounts LatAm at Belatra, said: “Peru is an exciting and growing market and PGS is the perfect place to build on our relationships with partners already working with us and to connect with new ones. We look forward to an amazing couple of days in Lima and, of course, rooting for Argentina with our friends and partners throughout the evening. It’s going to be a special occasion all around.”

The post Belatra Games confirms Lima trip for Peru Gaming Show 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BC.GAME

BC.GAME adds BETBY to BC Engine as staker rewards pass $2.5m

Published

2 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

bcgame-adds-betby-to-bc-engine-as-staker-rewards-pass-$2.5m

BC.GAME has partnered with sportsbook supplier BETBY, bringing the supplier into BC Engine, the platform’s rewards and participation model powered by its native $BC token.

BC Engine launched in April and is positioned by BC.GAME as a mechanism that links platform-generated profits and activity to ongoing rewards for $BC holders. Under the model, players earn $BC by playing casino games on BC.GAME, with tokens allocated and staked in BC Engine. Rewards are then distributed based on users’ holdings.

BC.GAME said stakers have earned more than $2.5 million in rewards since launch. The company also cited on-platform data showing more than $74.3 million in total wager and over 5.8 million bets.

Kar Kheng Giam, Chief Executive Officer of BC.GAME, said: “Our vision for BC Engine has always been to create a model where platform growth and player participation are more closely aligned.

“The addition of BETBY is significant because it demonstrates how the ecosystem can continue to expand through strategic partnerships. Every new contributor helps strengthen the engine, creating additional utility for $BC and reinforcing the long-term sustainability of the model.

“As we continue to grow the network, our focus remains on delivering a simpler and more transparent rewards experience that allows players to participate more directly in the success of the ecosystem.”

Christos Nikolopoulos, Chief Commercial Officer at BETBY, said: “We’re pleased to become part of the BC Engine ecosystem and support an initiative that brings a different approach to player engagement.”

“At BETBY, innovation has always been at the heart of our business, and BC Engine represents an interesting evolution in how gaming platforms can connect product performance, community participation and rewards. We look forward to contributing to its continued growth.”

BC.GAME said the BETBY deal is part of a wider push to expand $BC utility and add more ecosystem partners contributing to BC Engine. The company also pointed to recent international expansion, including moves in Africa via Nigeria and Kenya, alongside initiatives in Latin America.

The post BC.GAME adds BETBY to BC Engine as staker rewards pass $2.5m appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.