bet365 Avoids Swedish Licence Suspension Despite Court Loss

^{Stockholm, home to Spelinspektionen, the Swedish regulator that oversees bet365's local licence. (Photo: Michael Caven / Wikimedia Commons)}

Sweden's highest administrative appeals court has upheld warnings and sanction fees totalling SEK 44m (around £3.3m) against the two licensed entities behind bet365 in the country, confirming the companies breached duty-of-care and deposit-limit rules but stopping short of pulling their licences.

The Kammarrätten, Sweden's administrative court of appeal, ruled on 14 October that Hillside (Gaming) ENC and Hillside (Sports) ENC — the operating entities behind bet365's gaming and sports betting arms — were guilty of "serious violations" of the duty of care and deposit-limit requirements under Sweden's Gambling Act. The court agreed with the lower Förvaltningsrätten's earlier finding that a warning combined with sanction fees of SEK 4m and SEK 40m respectively was a proportionate response, and rejected the companies' appeals. Hillside is the licensed operating name used by bet365 for its Swedish business, separate from the bet365 consumer brand that customers see.

Violations Trace Back to a Hidden SEK 500m Deposit Limit

The case stems from a 2023 Spelinspektionen decision that found both Hillside entities let customers select a "no limit" option when setting deposit limits between January 2019 and April 2022, despite a statutory requirement for a genuine numeric cap. Spelinspektionen found there was a hidden technical ceiling of SEK 500m, but ruled that a limit set so high did not meet the legal obligation to set an actual, meaningful deposit limit. The companies challenged that finding through Sweden's administrative courts, first at the Förvaltningsrätten and then at the Kammarrätten, arguing the sanctions were disproportionate.

"Hillside (Gaming) ENC and Hillside (Sports) ENC get a warning and a sanction fee each," Spelinspektionen said of the Kammarrätten's ruling. "The court agrees with the previous assessment by the administrative court that Hillside (Gaming) ENC and Hillside (Sports) ENC are guilty of serious violations of the duty of care and the rules on deposit limits."

Operator Avoided Licence Suspension by Fixing the Problem

Spelinspektionen had originally stopped short of suspending bet365's licence because the companies made corrective changes during and after the regulator's audit, including removing the "no limit" deposit option and introducing a free-text field letting customers set their own deposit cap. The regulator also credited the operator with lowering internal risk thresholds for young players and customers returning from self-exclusion, which it said made it reasonable to expect future compliance. It also noted the companies had suspended or restricted accounts once internal high-risk triggers were logged, a factor that further supported issuing a warning rather than revoking the licences outright.

The ruling is the latest in a pattern of Swedish gambling-duty-of-care enforcement that has grown more willing to levy large fines on licensed operators while generally preserving their market access; Spelinspektionen has previously pulled a Swedish casino licence and has also moved against operators' use of certain deposit and credit channels in the past. bet365 retains its Swedish licence and continues to operate in the market. Spelinspektionen published its ruling summary on its news archive.