Swedish regulator reports first-half losses

iGaming Business – Swedish gambling regulator Lotteriinspektionen has reported that the country’s regulated market shrunk by more than 3% during the first half of 2014. Total revenue for the six-month period amounted to SEK19.3 billion (€2.1 billion/$2.8 billion), which is down more than SEK1 billion on the previous year. The revenue figure also represents the fourth consecutive year of decline in the Swedish national market. Svenska Spel, the largest operator in the country, reported sales of SEK10.7 billion in the first half, which is a drop of almost 5% on the same period last year. The operator suffered losses in…

Swedish lottery goes live with Playscan 4.1

iGaming Business – Swedish national state-owned lottery Svenska Spel has become the first operator to offer the latest solution from online gambling player protection software developer Playscan. Customers of Svenska Spel will now have access to Playscan 4.1, a software product that helps to protect players. The latest version includes additional input from gambling addiction support groups and usability research, in additions to a new risk scale and an in-depth view of the risk analysis. The design, which Playscan said helps the player understand and further reflect on the risks associate with gambling, runs on multiple platforms including desktop, mobile…

Swedish online gaming bingo partnership

iGaming Business – Online gaming company Paf has joined forces with Swedish game developer Proactive Gaming in an effort to develop new internet bingo titles. The new collaboration will replace Paf’s existing arrangement with Canadian firm Parlay Games. Kim Johansson, head of games at Paf, said the company hopes to develop the industry’s ‘best bingo product’ under the new collaboration. “We believe that we have found a partner with extensive experience and unique knowledge that gives us the flexibility to be able to go the whole distance and eventually create unique experiences for our customers,” Johansson said. Paul Burman, chief…

Swedish state-run gambling operator deploys Sportradar’s live odds service

iGaming Business – Betradar, the sport betting data brand of Sportradar, has announced that Swedish state-run gambling operator Svenska Spel has deployed the firm’s live odds service for its betting offering. The launch sees Svenska Spel follow fellow Scandinavian state lotteries Veikkaus and Norsk Tipping in opting for the service. Betradar said its live odds services offers a fully automated and integrated in-running trading service, featuring a range of live betting sports and markets. The Betradar live betting portfolio covers 15 different sports and more than 12,000 matches per month. “The market demand has stretched Svenska Spel’s resources to the…

Swedish gaming operator Cherry registers full-year loss after online gaming investments

iGaming Business – Swedish gaming operator Cherry has registered a net loss of SEK8.2m (€902,000/$1.3 million) for 2013. Cherry said that the loss was due to investing in online gaming operations, with the company having launched the SpilleAutomater.com website and invested in game development company Yggdrasil Gaming and the Klubblo lottery in partnership with Swedish sports and media group Metro. Cherry also acquired 49% of online gaming company Web Resorts in November, and the company reported a SEK10.6 million net loss for the fourth quarter, even though total sales increased by 16% to SEK75 million. Turnover for the year increased…