Jaser Davari, an expert on iGaming with years of experience in the industry, explained the impact of Spelpaus on Sweden’s iGaming industry and what this means for the operators in this region. Here he sheds some light on an often misunderstood subject.
What is Spelpaus, and what are its limitations?
The voluntary self-exclusion scheme of Spelpaus is available to gambling enthusiasts in Sweden. The main purpose of designing Spelpaus was to protect players. In Sweden. Gambling operators who are looking to provide their services in the Swedish market must participate in Spelpaus to receive their license.
It supports responsible gambling by denying access to the gamblers who have chosen themselves to exclude from gambling for a particular duration of time. If we talk about the advantage of Spelpaus, then players who are facing issues with the addiction can actually prevent themselves from gambling. However, there are also many disadvantages of Spelpaus.
Spelpaus is basically a license requirement for many gambling operators who want to expand to the Swedish market. This scheme is only applicable to the operators in Sweden. Well, it’s effective only if players do not start playing on offshore casino sites. Moreover, it only covers the casinos with Swedish licenses. The government’s effort towards responsible gambling is impressive, but there are no such laws for offshore casino sites. In that case, players would have to find additional solutions for self-exclusion.
What is about the campaign that the government had launched to promote the Spelpaus scheme?
The marketing campaign to promote the Spelpaus scheme was launched by the Swedish Gaming Authority (SGA). The campaign focused on educating people via campaigns. A variety of methods, such as advertisements, banners, etc., are used to promote the idea of responsible gambling.
The Swedish government is spreading awareness among citizens so that the Spelpaus scheme works effectively for player protection.
Why has the government started this Spelpaus self-exclusion scheme?
Sometimes gambling turns into a major public health issue that affects many, including the gamblers, their families, as well as society. The Spelpaus scheme seems effective in promoting preventive measures and treatment of gambling addiction. The government has started this self-exclusion scheme to promote gambling as a fun activity and not as something that deteriorates the mental well-being of a person.
As casino games are usually very attractive, fun, and entertaining, several players sometimes easily lose concentration. In that case, players should avoid continuing playing, and Spelpaus helps them to do that. However, how long a player is going to avoid gambling totally depends on them. As Spelpaus is not applicable to offshore sites, those who have an urge to gamble can even visit offshore sites for gambling.
What are some popular alternatives to Spelpaus?
Spelpaus is a self-exclusion program and also a license requirement for Swedish gambling operators. There are several other options for players who are looking to prevent obsessive gambling. All these self-exclusion schemes allow gamblers to stop themselves from accessing online casino services. Some of the top self-exclusion schemes are GamStop, GamBan, BetBlocker, GamCare, and more.
The UK Gambling Commission introduced GamStop to players who are looking to exclude from online casinos in the UK. Similar to Spelpaus, this scheme is also free and not applicable to offshore casino sites. All the UK Gambling operators can participate in the GamStop scheme.
Another one is GamBan which players can use to take a break from EU online gambling sites. Players can download the GamBan software application and install it on their mobile or desktop devices. GamBan can block access to all gambling sites and platforms. The self-exclusion terms and duration are different for different schemes.
Do you think a gambling company can stay responsible, and how can they do so?
Casinos and gambling sites are directly responsible for their activities. They must ensure that responsible gambling principles are respected by all players. For players, gambling at a casino site that supports responsible gaming is good. The gambling companies should offer different tools to control underage betting and gambling addiction. Online casino sites need to guarantee data security and privacy and offer a secure gambling environment to players.
Gambling activities should be entertaining and not be considered an easy way of making money online. Players are recommended not to bet money they can not afford to lose. Sweden’s scheme of promoting gambling, Spelpaus, can be an effective method to prevent issues only if the player wants to stop gambling.
Players can self-exclude themselves for one month, three months, or until further notice. Unlike many other self-exclusion tools, Spelpaus is completely free to all players in Sweden. All they have to do is to visit the Spelpaus site and select their preferred self-exclusion term. After that, they will not be able to get access to any Swedish online casinos.
Jaser Davari is available on Instagram and LinkedIn for you to connect and know more about the same.
