Sweden’s gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has banned Malta based company Claymore Malta Ltd from offering gambling games in the country. The decision follows an investigation that found the operator provided games to Swedish customers without holding a Swedish gambling licence. The regulator said Claymore used targeted digital features and marketing channels that made its services accessible to players in Sweden.
Spelinspektionen opened a supervisory case after suspecting that the website ibet.com was offering gambling services aimed at the Swedish market without authorisation. The regulator inspected the site between 1 December and 8 December, 2025.
During the inspection, Spelinspektionen found that the Swedish country code was preselected when users registered on ibet.com from a Swedish IP address. This feature reduced barriers for Swedish customers and made the registration process easier for local players.
The regulator also carried out a test purchase on the website. It found no technical systems in place to block Swedish customers from accessing or using the gambling services. According to Spelinspektionen, licensed operators must have effective controls to prevent access from jurisdictions where they are not authorised.
Spelinspektionen said its investigation also uncovered marketing activities aimed at Swedish consumers. These included promotions by Swedish speaking content creators on video streaming platforms and advertisements on Swedish language websites.
The regulator stated that these marketing efforts directly targeted people in Sweden and increased the visibility of the unlicensed gambling offer. Under Swedish law, gambling companies must hold a valid licence to market or provide gambling services to players in the country.
The regulator also confirmed that Claymore Malta Ltd operates another gambling website, arcticcasino.com, which was included in the assessment of the company’s activities.
In a statement received by Spelinspektionen on 12 December, Claymore Malta Ltd said it had taken steps to address the regulator’s concerns. The company said it had stopped direct marketing via SMS to Swedish customers. It also claimed that the Swedish language had been removed from ibet.com and that affiliate marketing activities targeting Sweden had ended.
However, Spelinspektionen said its findings showed that marketing aimed at Swedish consumers was still ongoing. Based on this assessment, the regulator concluded that Claymore had not taken sufficient action to prevent access from Sweden.
The case comes as Spelinspektionen seeks stronger powers to deal with unlicensed gambling operators. A government commissioned review of the Swedish Gambling Act of 2018 concluded last year and proposed significant changes to the current framework.
The review recommended removing the so called directional criterion. Under the existing rule, only online gambling that is specifically aimed at the Swedish market falls under the law. The proposed change would shift the focus to a participant based approach.
Under the new model, the key question would be whether people located in Sweden can take part in the gambling offer. To avoid falling under the Gambling Act, operators would need to take appropriate and effective measures to block participation from Sweden. These measures could include geoblocking and other technical restrictions.
Spelinspektionen has said that such changes would make it easier to act against unlicensed gambling companies and strengthen consumer protection in the Swedish gambling market.
#UnlicensedGambling #Spelinspektionen #OnlineGambling #EuropeanGaming #Compliance #ConsumerProtection
Welcome to Gambling Consulting Authority (GCA) - Your Strategic Partner in Gambling Industry Advancement
