According to an investigation, eight out of ten influencers in Sweden had advertised unlicensed casinos.
Twitch in Sweden has come under fire. A television investigation reported on the extent of advertising of unlicensed online casinos. Kulturnyheterna of Sveriges Television conducted an investigation in a span of six weeks. This investigation has revealed that eight out of ten Swedish influencers on Amazon-owned platform had promoted illegal casinos.
In 2022, Twitch introduced a ban. The ban prohibits the promotion of online casino operators offering slots, roulette, or dice games without licenses. This applies either in the United States or other jurisdictions that provide sufficient consumer protection. It specifically named the sites Stake.com, Rollbit.com, Duelbits.com, and Roobet.com in 2022. It followed up with a ban on the promotion of skin gambling in 2023.
Nonetheless, Kulturnyheterna says its investigation suggests Twitch is the most common platform to promote unlicensed casinos. In a statement, the program revealed that Kulturnyheterna has reviewed broadcasts of the most popular streamers for six weeks. They can demonstrate that online casino advertising spreads through hour-long live broadcasts. During these broadcasts, streamers actively promote unlicensed games to their followers.
The investigation found that streamers had a collective reach of around half a million subscribers. Mainly these are young men born in the 1990s and 2000s. It said that direct marketing strategies were used by 60 per cent. This included providing links to online casinos in their profiles and broadcasts, and promoting bonus incentives.
Kulturnyheterna noted that influencers actively encourage gambling. They make direct calls to gamble, play along with their audience, and involve viewers in decisions on stakes. This deepens engagement in gambling activities.
According to Kulturnyheterna, it has submitteed its findings to Spelinspektionen, a Swedish gambling regulator. According to the warning by the regulator, the Swedish Gambling Act forbids advertising unlicensed gambling. Police may intervene against violators.
