Championing Responsible Gambling: A Closer Look at GGL, Svenska Spel, and UKGC Initiatives

June 2023 has been a month dedicated to ensuring that fans of online casino entertainment can enjoy their pastime with the assurance that the sites they play at are working to create a safe environment.

While all regulated jurisdictions work tirelessly to defend against black market providers, ensure fair gameplay outcomes, block money laundering, and much more, we decided to highlight the fantastic work done this month in Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

  Germany Enhances Player and Youth Protection

The joint gaming authority of Germany’s federal states, the GGL, has actively defended the authority of the State Treaty on Gaming 2021 and its decision to ban advertising practices believed to be in contravention of the same in court this month.

On June 14, 2023, the 7th chamber of the Halle Administrative Court ruled in favour of the injunction placed on a Malta-based lottery company for offering online gambling in Germany without a license. Citing that the decision by the GGL aligned with the treaty’s aim of protecting the youth from gambling harm and counteracting cross-border crime.

On June 15, 2023, the 3rd Senate of the Higher Administrative Court upheld the decision of the GGL to enforce a series of advertising restrictions as part of the new casino licensing agreement. In particular, the 3rd Senate held that the bans, as mentioned earlier on gambling-related infomercials, the advertising of free online casino games such as virtual slot machines, influencer marketing, advertising by streamers and advertising with websites that also promote illegal gambling fall foul of the terms and the spirit of the licensing agreement.

The one area the Higher Administrative Court did not support was the total ban on outdoor advertising, including billboards, advertising pillars and local public transport vehicles. As in Germany, these ads are digital, and proper time management methods can be used to ensure any youth does not view them.

Sweden Strengthens Support for At-Risk Players

In Sweden, Svenska Spel, a state-owned gambling operator, has been aware of the danger of increased problem gambling numbers given the challenging economic climate.

They implemented several projects over the past year to reduce gambling harm, which studies show has been very effective. The activities have included proactive care calls, early detection of changes in gambling behaviour, interactive online safe gambling quizzes, more visibility for self-exclusion links, and more significant limitations on spending and "individually adapted game limits with particularly tough requirements for young adults”.

In reviewing the efficacy of these initiatives by comparing 2022 to 2023, Svenska Spel has proven that there has been a reduction in what they deem ‘risky gambling’ among its players. And players who were previously considered ‘at-risk’ spent less money.

 UK Launches Operator Responsibilities Hub

In June, the UK Gambling Commission launched a website hub to enforce operator compliance among those operators who work with third parties, such as white-label casino providers. According to the commission, casinos were falling foul of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) by working with third party providers who turned out to be unlicensed. The most common argument when banned or fined was that they were not responsible for the actions of these content suppliers.

The new hub clearly outlines all licensee responsibilities, which include:

1. Licensees are responsible for the third parties that they contract with.
2. Licensees must ensure contracted third parties act in accordance with licence conditions and the same codes of practice as the licensee.
3. Licensees must conduct adequate due diligence on the third party to ensure they are competent and reliable.
4. Licensees using a third party must ensure it has sufficient oversight and controls to ensure all activities are carried out in accordance with the LCCP, including social responsibility and anti-money laundering requirements.
5. Licensees must only partner with suppliers who are themselves licensed to provide gambling services in the United Kingdom.

The commission reiterated that failure by a gambling website to abide by the LCCP would result in their suspension or permanent loss of their gambling license.