Hacksaw Gaming has SGA fine reduced to SEK20,000 on appeal

The Swedish Administrative Court of Linköping has ruled Hacksaw Gaming’s SEK2.6m (£200,000) fine over its games appearing on black market sites be reduced to just SEK20,000 (£1,535).

The supplier was originally fined in May 2024 after its content was found on two unlicensed sites, which the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) said constituted a breach of licence requirements.

Since July 2023, suppliers in Sweden have had to hold a B2B licence to offer services in the market.

The SGA said Hacksaw’s procedures, including geoblocking, were “inadequate” and that the violations found were “serious”.

However, following an appeal from the supplier to the Administrative Court of Linköping, it was ruled the penalty fee be slashed to just SEK20,000.

The accompanying warning that the SGA handed down last May to the business will remain in place.

As part of the appeal, Hacksaw claimed that the penalty should be annulled in its entirety and that no intervention should ever have taken place.

The business added that if a fine remain applicable, it should be significantly reduced, given Hacksaw’s limited revenue stream from Sweden.                                                                                                                                       

In its review of the appeal, the court noted Hacksaw had cooperated with the SGA throughout the process and taken further action to reduce the risk of its games appearing on the black market.

And while the court did note that Hacksaw’s failings were still evident, despite the firm’s claims, the fine reduction was granted.

An SGA spokesperson said: “The Administrative Court agrees with the Gambling Authority’s assessment that Hacksaw has violated the Gambling Act and should be given a warning and that there is reason to impose a penalty fee.

“Regarding the size of the penalty fee, the Administrative Court based its decision on the net turnover reported by the company and the court also considered that there were certain mitigating circumstances.”

The post Hacksaw Gaming has SGA fine reduced to SEK20,000 on appeal first appeared on EGR Intel.

 Supplier secures fiscal reprieve, although warning from regulator over its content appearing on black market sites in Sweden still stands
The post Hacksaw Gaming has SGA fine reduced to SEK20,000 on appeal first appeared on EGR Intel.