Swedish Court Overturns SEK8m Sanction Against LeoVegas

Regulator Raised Concerns Over Player Protection

The dispute began in March last year when the Swedish Gambling Authority issued a penalty against Roar Vegas. The regulator reviewed three customer accounts and found signs of excessive gambling. These included high deposit limits, long gaming sessions, and large losses within short periods.

According to the authority, the operator relied too much on automated responsible gambling messages. Regulators also believed stronger actions should have happened sooner. Because of those concerns, the authority imposed an SEK8 million fine. The amount was based on the company's estimated annual turnover of SEK1.65 billion.

Roar Vegas Disagreed With The Decision

Roar Vegas rejected the findings and appealed the penalty. The company argued its responsible gambling measures followed Swedish rules. It also said there was not enough guidance on when operators should increase interventions.

According to the operator, this lack of clarity made it difficult to know exactly when additional measures were required. Subsequently, the Administrative Court in Linköping reviewed the appeal and examined the regulator's claims.

Court Found Actions Were Taken

The court agreed that all three customers showed signs of excessive gambling. Judges also agreed that intervention was necessary. However, the court found Roar Vegas had taken action relatively quickly. The operator used several tools to address the situation. These measures included:

• Automated responsible gambling messages

• Deposit limits for customers

• Direct contact with players

The court said some actions may have happened earlier. Nevertheless, judges found no clear and obvious breach of the duty-of-care rules. That finding became the key issue — and led to the fine being overturned.

Appeal Option Still Remains

The court ruled in favor of Roar Vegas and canceled the SEK8 million sanction. Judges also stated that Sweden's duty-of-care rules are clear enough for enforcement. However, they said regulatory action requires a clear violation of those obligations.

Hence, the court concluded the evidence did not meet that standard in this case. The Swedish Gambling Authority can still appeal the ruling within three weeks of the June 12 decision.

For now, neither the regulator nor LeoVegas has commented publicly. Yet the case remains important — as it may shape how future responsible gambling cases are handled in Sweden.