Bet365 has received a slap on its wrist in Sweden after its local branch Hillside (Sports) ENC was fined by the Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen.
The main reason for the fine was due to a violation that saw the sportsbook take bets on a football match were the majority of players were under the age of 18.
Hillside was slapped with a SEK 1 Million fine which is around $115,000. Apart from the fine, the operator was given a warning by Swedish regulator.
The punishment for bet365 comes from a game played in March 2020. The game in question was a football match between Kronängs IF and Mariedals IK. According to the Spelinspektionen, 71 percent of the players in the game were under the age of 18.
To take bets on a game where minors are involved is a big violation as per the Swedish Gaming Act. This act was introduced in early 2019 and it opened the doors for offshore gambling operators to enter Sweden. Included in the 2019 regulations was a restriction that prohibited local gambling operators from taking bets on any sports matches that are classified under-18.
If the entire game consisted of players below 18, the violation might have been considered a lot more serious and a heavier fine could have been imposed. Fortunately for bet365, Spelinspektionen noted that there were extenuating circumstances. So despite the regulator saying that this was a serious violation, the operator only received a fine and a reprimand.
This is not the first violation by bet365 in the Swedish betting market. This is the second time that it has gotten into trouble with underage betting. Back in 2019, it was one of eight licensees that were fined for allowing for betting on sports with underage participants. Hillside received a larger penalty at that time with a SEK10 million fine.
Spelinspektionen imposed a heavy fine the first time around as market analysts believe the gambling regulator wanted to send a message to the rest of the market. Bet365 did protest this ruling saying that the gaming regulations outlined was not clear and wanted the fine revoked. However, the Swedish courts upheld the decision.
Bet365 accepted the decision and said in May 2019 that it would not take any bets for matches with the U20 to U23 classification, the number referring to the age of participants. Given this is the second violation of underage betting by the operator, it is unlikely that Bet365 will appeal this fine.
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