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
Selected research projects will generate new insights into how responsible gambling messages are delivered and perceived in the rapidly evolving sports media landscape
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute (IGI) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 ESPN Research Fellowships. This year’s cohort features a group of scholars whose proposals will advance understanding of responsible gambling messaging in sports media and its implications for consumer well-being.
Fellowships recipients include:
-
Dr. Brandon Mastromartino, Director of the Institute on Sports Wagering and Gaming and Assistant Professor of Experiential Marketing at the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, San Diego State University. Dr. Mastromartino’s project will evaluate two of the NFL’s responsible gambling PSAs using a fan-centered marketing framework.
-
Dr. Chris R. Noland, Assistant Professor of Advertising at the University of South Florida’s Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications. Dr. Noland will examine the influence of celebrity endorsements and promotional inducements in Instagram advertisements on online sports betting behavior.
-
Dr. Ramon Silva Leite, Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Management at Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Dr. Silva’s project will investigate how responsible gambling messages are constructed and delivered through sports media, and how young sports bettors perceive and respond to them.
-
Dr. Sarah Stokowski, Associate Professor of Athletic Leadership at Clemson University’s Department of Educational and Organizational Leadership Development. Dr. Stokowski will investigate how college student-athletes perceive and interact with sports betting content on social media.
These projects will provide important insights into practical strategies that policymakers and the industry can adopt to help safeguard the wellbeing of sports enthusiasts and the public at large.
“IGI is tremendously proud of the work our previous Fellowships produced. A key goal of this initiative is to support innovative and impactful research to better understand the rapidly changing global sports and betting environment,” said Dr. Kasra Ghaharian, Director of Research at IGI. “This research represents critical perspectives on how gambling is represented in sports media and holds important implications for all gambling stakeholders.”
“Responsible gaming continues to be a priority for ESPN, and we are proud to continue our collaboration with IGI to support research that delivers real-world impact,” said Kevin Martinez, Vice President of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “These new projects will provide valuable insights into how responsible gaming messages can be delivered effectively across sports media and help strengthen standards that protect fans everywhere.”
Each research fellowship lasts six months. Research results will be featured in an IGI webinar in 2026.
The post UNLV International Gaming Institute Announces 2025 ESPN Research Fellows appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Latest News
ACR POKER’S HUGE ONLINE SUPER SERIES XL MAIN EVENTS KICK OFF THIS WEEKEND, AWARDING $4.25 MILLION GUARANTEED
Phase 1 of the $150,000 GTD Survivor Flips starts today and first Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight Day 2 gets underway this Sunday, September 21st
ACR Poker’s biggest-ever tournament series, Online Super Series (OSS) XL, is in full swing and this weekend the action really heats up with the colossal Main Events kicking off on Sunday, September 21st, offering $4.25 million total guaranteed.
Players can take their shot at the $2 million guaranteed ($2,650 buy-in), the $1.5 million guaranteed ($1,050 buy-in), and the $750,000 guaranteed ($215 buy-in) Main Events. Day 1A starts this Sunday, September 21st, Day 1B is on Sunday, September 28th, and Day 2 is on Monday, September 29th.
The flagship series boasts over $50 million in guarantees and runs until Tuesday, September 30th. It has a range of events catered to players of all bankrolls from as little as $0.55, which include the $0.55 Micro PKO, $6.60 Early Special, and $22 Euro Mini Special.
Adding further excitement is the high-energy Survivor Flips tourney ($130 buy-in), offering a $150,000 guarantee. Phase 1 and Steps Flips run from today (Wednesday, September 17th) to Sunday, September 21st at 3:00pm ET. Phase 2 is a regular tournament on September 21st at 3:05pm ET where all players start in the money.
There are also four Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight events, including two $500,000 GTD ($109 buy-in) events, with the first having its final flight and Day 2 this Sunday, September 21st. The $200,000 GTD ($33 buy-in) and $100,000 GTD ($5.50 buy-in) events have their final flight and Day 2 on Sunday, September 28th.
“OSS XL has already delivered incredible action, with huge fields, dramatic final tables, and amazing wins for players at every level but there’s still so much to come,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “The Main Events are always the highlight of the series, and this weekend promises to be the biggest stage yet for anyone looking to make their mark.”
Finally, to add further sweat, ACR Poker’s Leaderboard Contest is awarding $65,000 in cash and tourney tickets across three tiers. The High Stakes ($104.50 buy-ins and above) will award a $15,000 top prize, while the Mid Stakes ($16.50 to $88 buy-ins) and Low Stakes (under $15 buy-ins) will award $7,500 and $4,000, respectively.
For further details on OSS XL, read the ACR Poker blog or visit ACRPoker.eu.
The post ACR POKER’S HUGE ONLINE SUPER SERIES XL MAIN EVENTS KICK OFF THIS WEEKEND, AWARDING $4.25 MILLION GUARANTEED appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Latest News
GGPoker to Broadcast WSOP Online 2025 Final Tables Live, Featuring GGPoker.tv Broadcast Debut of Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth
Join Jeff Gross and his legendary co-hosts on September 23 and September 30
GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room, today announced it will live stream the final table action of two of the most prestigious events from the ongoing WSOP Online 2025 tournament series. The broadcasts will be available on GGPoker.tv, the brand’s official YouTube channel, and will feature the debut of poker legend Phil Hellmuth as a live GGPoker.tv broadcast host.
The first broadcast, on September 23, will showcase the high-stakes drama from the final table of the $5,000 WSOP Online Main Event, arguably online poker’s most important annual tournament. This landmark event will be co-hosted by frequent GGPoker anchor Jeff Gross and the 17-time WSOP bracelet winner, Phil Hellmuth. Known for his “poker brat” persona and unparalleled tournament record, Hellmuth’s inclusion will provide viewers with an unprecedented look into the mind of one of poker’s greatest champions.
The action continues on September 30, with the final table of the $10,300 GGMillion$ High Rollers event. Joining Jeff Gross for this broadcast will be GGPoker Global Ambassador and fellow poker icon, Daniel Negreanu. Negreanu, with his engaging style and deep understanding of the game, will provide expert commentary and analysis, making this broadcast another must-watch for poker fans everywhere.
“We are incredibly excited to bring the WSOP Online 2025 action directly to our fans with these two live broadcasts,” said Paul Burke, Head of Public Relations at GGPoker. “Having Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu on air alongside Jeff Gross to break down the action will be a true treat. This will be more than just watching a final table; it’ll be a masterclass in poker strategy from two of the best to ever play the game.”
The post GGPoker to Broadcast WSOP Online 2025 Final Tables Live, Featuring GGPoker.tv Broadcast Debut of Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
eSports6 days agoEsports Charts to deliver comprehensive viewership data to GeoGuessr
-
Balkans6 days ago
BEGE Awards Nominations Now Open – Celebrating 16 Years of Industry Excellence!
-
Brazil6 days agoThrillTech secures regulatory approvals to launch jackpots in Latam
-
Africa6 days ago
BetKing Renews Ikorodu City FC Partnership for 2025/26 NPFL Season
-
Asia6 days ago
Digital gaming disruption tackled in 1st AsPac Regulators’ Forum
-
Colombia6 days ago
NOVOMATIC sets high expectations at GAT Bogotá with launches that redefine multi-games
-
Latest News5 days ago
Åland-Based Gaming Company Paf Becomes Main Partner of the Finnish Ski Association – One of the Most Significant Sponsorship Agreements in the Association’s History
-
Africa5 days ago
Racing1 is exhibiting for the first time at the Grand Prix D’Afrique
