Gambling on the Rise in Denmark, the UK, and Sweden

LeoVegas-owned Roar Vegas has been handed a penalty fee of SEK8m (€737,536), while Glitnor Services Limited faces a larger penalty of SEK28m (€2.6m).

The regulatory actions come after separate investigations between January and March 2024 into the companies’ responsible gambling practices.

Both cases revealed that the operators failed to take sufficient action to protect players from excessive gambling.

Roar Vegas: Key findings

In the case of Roar Vegas, the investigation revealed that three customers exhibited clear signs of excessive gambling, including high deposit limits, long login times, and significant losses within short periods.

One customer deposited and lost SEK116,400 in three weeks, another lost SEK69,900 in eleven days, and a third lost SEK60,575 within four weeks of opening an account.

Despite these patterns, Roar Vegas’ response was limited to automated responsible gambling messages and delayed enforcement of deposit limits.

According to the regulator, the company failed to escalate interventions when early measures proved ineffective, thereby failing to prevent financial harm.

Glitnor: Key findings

Investigators found that Glitnor failed to effectively intervene in 10 out of 12 cases where players displayed signs of excessive gambling.

Several players sustained heavy losses in short periods, including one who lost SEK193,000 in two weeks and another who lost SEK1.1m over three months.

Three of the affected players were between the ages of 18 and 24, a group deemed particularly vulnerable to gambling harm.

Some customers played continuously for long hours, with one placing over 3,600 bets within nine hours.

High deposit limits — up to SEK2.2m per month — were also allowed without sufficient intervention.

Despite warning signs, the SGA stated that Glitnor mainly relied on automated emails and monitoring lists, instead of taking immediate and effective action.

Company defence

The SGA concluded that both companies failed to adequately protect players from excessive gambling, did not follow up on the effectiveness of their responsible gambling measures, and allowed at-risk players to continue gambling with minimal intervention.

Roar Vegas Ltd and Glitnor both argued they had implemented responsible gambling procedures in accordance with Swedish regulations.

Roar Vegas defended its actions, stating that its responsible gambling measures, including automated messages and deposit limits, complied with regulatory requirements.

The company claimed that the lack of explicit regulations on when to escalate interventions created ambiguity in compliance.

However, the SGA rejected this argument, asserting that existing laws clearly mandate prompt and effective action to protect players.

Glitnor additionally cited data protection laws as a limiting factor in its ability to monitor players’ financial situations.

However, the SGA dismissed this defence, stating that the company did not take sufficient and timely action to prevent gambling-related harm.

Financial penalties

Given the severity of the breach, Roar Vegas Ltd has been ordered to pay SEK8m. This penalty was determined based on the company’s estimated turnover of SEK1.65bn (€152.1m).

While the SGA acknowledged that Roar Vegas cooperated with the investigation and took steps to improve its responsible gambling measures, regulators concluded that the violations were significant enough to warrant financial penalties.

Similarly, after a proportionality assessment, the SGA imposed a SEK28m penalty on Glitnor, based on the company’s reported turnover of SEK608m (€56.1m).