Monitor player behaviour “continuously”, says Swedish regulator

The duty of care guidelines address several elements of responsible gambling concerns, including what constitutes excessive gambling and how Spelinspektionen expects licensees to identify the issue.

One of the main areas outlined in the duty of care pertains to gaming behaviours. According to Spelinspektionen, licensees must exercise constant supervision of players to counteract excessive gambling measures.

This involves monitoring gaming patterns, such as how often a player plays and how long they play for, to determine whether a pattern of excessive gambling behaviour is evident.

The guidelines also outlined that operators must monitor how often a player contacts them, and ensure that employee training is in place to identify signs of problem gambling risk.

The regulator suggests occasions of previous suspension and player age, particularly between the ages of 18 and 24, as warning signs.

As well as identification, Spelinspektionen outlined restrictions that may need to be implemented by licensees at their own discretion, such as deposit limit restrictions and outright player bans.

The guidelines conclude that licensees must have an action plan in place to enforce their duty of care. This must relate specifically to the services offered by the licensees and be continuously updated.

Earlier this week, Spelinspektionen published new guidelines for online gaming operators on how to counter money laundering and terrorist financing in response to a request for clarity from the sector.