UK Gambling Commission Partners With Swedish Gambling Regulator
The UK Gambling Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen.
The agreement between the two gambling regulators was signed earlier this month and came into effect on November 11th. Under the partnership, the two firms sharing information on best practices on areas which include regulatory policies and procedures. They will also together tackle issues plaguing the gambling industry such as money launching and addictions.
Reports suggest that the two firms will work together to monitor policy and supervisory issues, important matters regarding gambling operators, and issues related to betting and gaming. In addition, information collected by the firms which could adversely impact a gambling operator will be shared between the regulators as well as information on regulatory enforcements or actions that impact an operator.
Neil McArthur, the Chief Executive of the UK Gambling Commission, said in a statement: “We have excellent relations with other gambling regulators from across the world and our new link up with the Swedish Gambling Authority will give more opportunities to share good practice on a whole host of regulatory issues, cooperate closely and take shared action where appropriate.”
Camilla Rosenberg, the Director-General of Spelinspektonen, added: “This is an important agreement for us. We have [a] common interest in many areas. By opening the communication channels between the authorities we become stronger in our supervisory activities. This is the beginning of a broad and long-term cooperation. Earlier this year we have entered an MoU with Malta Gaming Authority and Gibraltar Gambling Division.”
Gambling Regulation
The news comes just days after the Swedish Consumer Agency (KO) issued warnings to Mr Green Casino and Karl Casino, a site operated by L&L Europe Limited, after the two operators were found to have breached the country’s Gaming Act by sending promotional materials to customers who had previously self-excluded.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the government, MPs and the general public have all been urging for greater regulation over gambling. There have been calls for the introduction of a maximum bet limit on online slots, restrictions to VIP accounts, the introduction of a new Gambling Act, as well as tighter rules regarding gambling advertisements.
To help combat problem gambling, the newly-formed Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) introduced its Anonymous Player Awareness System (APAS) to UK betting shops which use a real-time algorithm to monitor player behaviour and can force users to take a break while simultaneously alerting staff to potentially irresponsible gambling.