Sweden’s Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, has issued a formal warning to Polar, operator of Coolbet brand, after identifying breaches of the country’s bonus rules under the Gambling Act.
Under the Gambling Act, bonuses may only be offered the first time a player uses any of a licence holder’s games.
The case involved two separate incidents reported by the company. In the first, a technical error meant six existing customers were incorrectly granted a welcome bonus totalling SEK 1,100 ($119).
The issue occurred between 13 March 2025 and 15 June 2025 and was only discovered during a routine review of bonus reporting. The company said it has since implemented several measures to prevent a recurrence.
The second incident involved a bonus campaign that was mistakenly made available to Swedish customers despite being intended for another market.
As a result, eleven customers each received SEK 11 in bonus funds, totalling SEK 121, which they were not eligible to claim. The error lasted for nine hours on 3 October 2025 and was attributed to human error. The bonus was disabled once the issue was identified.
Spelinspektionen concluded that the breaches were minor and issued a warning rather than a financial penalty or stricter enforcement action.
The case highlights the importance of prompt self-reporting and strong due diligence processes, particularly in quickly identifying and correcting compliance failures, which can help operators avoid more severe penalties.
The Swedish bonus restrictions can make licensed operators appear less competitive compared with unlicensed alternatives.
In a recent interview with Global Gaming Insider, Mauritz Altikardes, Chairman of the Swedish Poker Association, highlighted how these rules are significantly impacting the poker market.
Altikardes stated: ‘’Swedish players are often excluded from campaigns, promotions, freerolls, leaderboard series, cashback, rakeback and recurring deposit bonuses that are otherwise available to players in other markets.
‘’This affects channelisation. When players see that the same poker product is offered with better conditions by operators without a Swedish licence, it is not difficult to understand why some choose to play there instead.’’
In separate news from the country, an extended credit gambling ban came into force today.
The Swedish Poker Association recently met with the Ministry of Finance to discuss reforming Sweden’s poker licensing system amid regulatory and market challenges
