Swedish Court Upholds SEK 3 Million Fine Against ATG for AML Breaches
Swedish horse-racing bookmaker AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) has been fined SEK 3 million after a court rejected its appeal against a sanction by gambling authority Spelinspektionen.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The ruling stems from a 2022 probe that found ATG’s anti-money laundering (AML) controls failed to adequately mitigate risks of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Judge Louise Millqvist of the Administrative Court concluded the case showed a “breach of fundamental rules on customer control”, noting that the shortcomings involved substantial sums. The court did, however, decline the regulator’s request for a larger financial sanction, finding that while the failings were serious, they did not meet the threshold for a heftier penalty.
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The ruling comes as operators across Europe face intensified scrutiny over AML compliance. Spelinspektionen has been active in enforcing regulatory obligations in recent months, issuing fines and administrative measures to multiple licensees for lapses that range from failures to notify changes in key personnel to allowing games to be distributed via unlicensed sites.
For ATG, the fine arrives against a backdrop of softer commercial performance. The operator reported gaming revenue of SEK 2.6 billion for the first half of the year, a drop of around 5% year-on-year, and a narrowing of operating margins from roughly 27% to 23%. The company is also preparing for potential international expansion: it has formed a joint venture with Finland’s trotting federation Hippos to create a business intended to compete in the Finnish online market if and when Helsinki liberalises online gambling, currently anticipated by some market observers for around 2027.
Industry compliance experts say the case underscores the need for robust, risk-based AML frameworks in regulated gambling markets. Effective controls typically include enhanced customer due diligence for higher-risk players, transaction monitoring calibrated to the product and player base, timely source-of-funds checks, and clear escalation and reporting procedures to the relevant financial intelligence units.
Beyond the direct financial cost, enforcement actions can carry reputational consequences and increase compliance costs as operators remediate systems and processes. For a company like ATG, which is both a domestic market leader and a prospective entrant into a liberalising neighbouring market, strengthening AML capabilities will be key to preserving licence compliance and supporting any cross-border ambitions.
Spelinspektionen’s enforcement activity signals that Swedish regulators remain vigilant about AML standards in gambling, aligning with wider European efforts to tighten controls around suspicious financial flows in the sector. Operators should expect continued oversight and, where weaknesses are found, proportionate but tangible sanctions.
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