Swedish gambling authority Spelinspektionen has issued a ban against WinBet NV, ruling that the operator illegally targeted Swedish players through its Superb.bet platform. The investigation revealed multiple signs of local targeting, including automatic Swedish language display and support for transactions in Krona.
Although WinBet holds a license in Greece, it failed to secure authorisation in Sweden. Under local law, operators are considered to be targeting the Swedish market if their sites offer language, currency, and payment options specific to Sweden. WinBet did not respond when given a chance to comment, prompting an immediate ban.
Regulator cites default language and payment options
According to Spelinspektionen, the Superb.bet website automatically switched to Swedish for users accessing it via Swedish IP addresses. In addition, local users could register freely and conduct transactions in SEK, both of which are considered signs of market targeting under Swedish rules.
The regulator concluded that WinBet had violated key licensing requirements and chose to enforce the ban without delay. Swedish law does not tolerate unlicensed operators, especially when they use localized elements to attract users.
Violations in other markets
In October 2024, the Dutch authority Kansspelautoriteit issued a warning after discovering four sites operated by WinBet (including Superb1.bet and Galaxyspins.com) to have no licensing.
The Dutch regulator required the operator to close its illegal services or pay weekly fines of €280,000 up to a maximum amount of €840,000. These historical problems demonstrate a tendency of non-compliant conduct in various jurisdictions.
Source: https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/winbet-banned-sweden-unlicensed-gambling/
