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Searches for unlicensed casino are already up in Sweden, and channelisation rates are falling. But with new restrictions for online casino pushed through by the country's government, the situation stands to significantly worsen, writes BonusFinder’s Fintan Costello
At no point, in any industry, should the black market be given any further incentive to grow. Never has this become more apparent than during the ongoing global pandemic which has touched every corner of the globe and impacted every facet of every economy. Online black-market sellers are thriving at this time of great uncertainty. From protective clothing and fake virus tests to peddling so-called cures on auction sites, you name it, they are flogging it to most vulnerable in society, and with no qualms. Our industry is no different and it has taken reams of regulation and lobbying for their number to gradually decline. But not everywhere. Regrettably, in some less mature markets such as Sweden, these unlicensed brands are not only flourishing but growing more powerful every day. This is not through their own efforts but inadvertently due to political inexperience in this area – arguably an issue every government has faced when opening a new gaming regime. At the end of April, the Swedish government proposed to introduce mandatory limits on weekly gambling deposits, further restricting player bonus offers to just SEK100 (£8) and imposing compulsory time limits on casino games. All this in addition to some of Europe’s toughest casino regulations. In June, it was announced these restrictions would come into effect from 2 July. These are unprecedented times and the restrictions have been put forward with the best intentions to protect players, but as we clearly stated in our response to the government’s consultation, we firmly believe this will further fuel the black market and drive more players – many of them vulnerable – away from legal brands to unlicensed sites.
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THE EVIDENCE GROWS
In March this year BonusFinder.com research found that almost a third of Swedish online casino players are searching online for ‘unlicensed casinos’, with growing numbers turning to black-market brands due to the market’s restrictive gaming regulations, introduced in January 2019. Just eight weeks on from our initial study, we found this to be rising at an alarming rate. Using Google Trends, we found growth in searches for unlicensed casino brands targeting Sweden has risen by 305% in the last 12 months. We have identified more than 54 unlicensed sites targeting Sweden compared to 65 licensed operators, with the majority offering online casino. Over the course of the last year searches for ‘online casino’ have grown by 173%, but this is nothing when compared to ‘casino utan licens’ (unlicensed online casino) and other similar terms, which has seen a staggering 710% growth.
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