Sweden’s Gambling Inspectorate, Spelinspektionen, has tightened regulations of its online gambling market by banning two unlicensed operators, Altacore NV and Wino.casino. The prohibition orders were issued after the regulator found the companies guilty of targeting Swedish players without the necessary licences.

Altacore NV, licensed in Curaçao, was accused of offering Swedish language options, tailored promotions, and direct marketing across its suite of casino brands. Meanwhile, Wino.casino, which did not disclose any licensing credentials or ownership information, was found to have defaulted to Swedish settings when accessed locally.

Altacore NV’s Tactics Exposed

The enforcement case against Altacore NV revealed an extensive strategy of reaching Swedish audiences through affiliates and streamers on Twitch. The operator’s brands include Betify, Wintopia, Flappy, Yonibet, Luckyhour, Cosmicslot, Winlegends, Casinozer, Rollino, Gamblezen, Spinsbro, and Icebet.

Investigators discovered that Altacore’s websites allowed users to pre-select Sweden as their country of registration and even offered terms and conditions for Swedish customers. After receiving warnings, the company attempted to comply by geoblocking Swedish IP addresses. However, Spelinspektionen later uncovered that Altacore redirected Swedish traffic to newly created skin sites that continued to market the same brands but without visible ownership details. This circumvention led to the regulator imposing an outright ban.

Wino.casino Lacked Transparency

Wino.casino faced enforcement action after the Inspectorate identified its use of Swedish flags, default language settings, and targeted SMS campaigns promoting its services to Swedish audiences. Similar to Altacore, the operator also allowed users to register by selecting Sweden as their country of residence.

Unlike Altacore, Wino.casino provided no clear information about its ownership, company address, or regulatory authorisation in any jurisdiction. The absence of accountability was viewed as a serious breach by Spelinspektionen, prompting an immediate ban on the site’s activities within Sweden.

Ongoing Concerns Over Channelisation

While Spelinspektionen has the authority to fine licensed operators up to 10% of annual turnover for regulatory breaches, no such penalties can be imposed on unlicensed companies. Enforcement actions against Altacore NV and Wino.casino are therefore limited to prohibition orders and blocking access to the Swedish market.

The clampdown comes amid ongoing concerns about channelisation in Sweden’s online casino market. For the sixth consecutive year, the rate has failed to reach the government’s target of 90%. Since 2020, consumer spend with licensed operators has remained between 75% and 80%. Licensed firms argue that restrictions on bonuses and gameplay interventions have eroded their competitiveness against offshore sites.

Industry trade group BOS has called for an inquiry into the impact of regulation on channelisation. Reforms will be considered later this year as part of the new Gambling Act recommendation to be presented to the Riksdag by independent adjudicator Marcus Isgren.