banning B2B suppliers from serving unlicensed operators , clarifications on advertising restrictions and changes to the regulator ’ s online register . Failure to comply with this new proposed obligation will be considered a minor offence that would attract fines ranging from RON 150,000-200,000 ( approx € 30k-40k ), seizure of the amounts derived from the unlawful activities , as well as revocation of the Class 2 licence .
SLOVAKIA
REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Private operators can apply for licences for online casino and for sports betting licences . Lottery and bingo remain reserved for the monopoly provider . STATUS : The Gambling Law came into force on 1 March 2019 . It allows private operators outside of Slovakia to apply for licences for sports betting and casino , although sports betting licences did not take effect until 1 July 2020 . In July 2022 , the Slovakian gambling regulator created a whitelist of websites that are run by licensed operators in Slovakia .
SLOVENIA
REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Online gambling must be operated by land-based casinos or lotteries and thus only the monopoly holds online licences in Slovenia . STATUS : The requirement that only landbased Slovenian operators are eligible for licences is considered by certain industry stakeholders to be incompatible with EU law . In September 2021 , draft amendments to the Gaming Act were published by the government that seek to address the Act ’ s compatibility with EU law . It is understood that little progress has been made since the draft amendments were published .
SPAIN
REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Private operators can apply for licences for all gambling products save for lottery . STATUS : Operators must hold a general licence and a specific licence , both issued by the National Gambling Commission , for each activity . Remote gambling licences are granted within specific application windows . The last tender process for applications closed on 18 December 2018 . In November 2020 , Spain introduced significant restrictions on gambling advertising , sports sponsorship and welcome bonuses ; however , a number of provisions were declared void following a Spanish Supreme Court ruling in April 2024 ( such as restrictions on welcome bonuses and the use of celebrities in gambling advertising ). In March 2023 , the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a Royal Decree that aims to strengthen responsible gambling measures in Spain . For example , operators must ensure that players are prohibited from using credit cards and receiving marketing messages if they lose more than a certain amount ( depending on age ) in the preceding three weeks . The Royal Decree entered into force on 14 September 2023 . The Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs recently invited comments on a proposal to introduce a universal ‘ economic limit ’ – i . e . whereby a customer ’ s deposit
limit would apply universally across all operators as opposed to a deposit limit per operator . The consultation period closed on 13 April 2023 .
SWEDEN
REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Betting ( including sports , horse race , pool and exchanges ), casino , poker , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Licences are available for private operators . STATUS : As of 1 January 2019 , Sweden is a fully regulated market . All gambling operators that wish to offer their services to Swedish residents will be required to obtain a licence in order to validly do so ( either a ‘ betting ’ licence or a ‘ commercial online games ’ licence , depending on the product ( s ) being offered ). Active enforcement measures are in place . On 1 July 2023 : ( i ) provisions amending Sweden ’ s Gambling Act that introduce a B2B licensing regime for online software suppliers entered into effect ; and ( ii ) regulations that grant the Swedish gambling regulator greater supervisory powers ( e . g . the ability to carry out test purchases anonymously ) took effect .
Wiggin is a law firm dedicated to supporting the media , entertainment and gaming sectors . Its market-leading betting and gaming group provides specialist legal services to an array of gambling industry stakeholders . We advise many of the world ’ s leading gambling operators and suppliers and also enjoy helping entrepreneurial , interactive startup businesses . If you ’ d like to hear more , contact us at gambling @ wiggin . co . uk
iGB L ! VE 2024 • ISSUE 136 • 91