One of the biggest issues/burdens for online gambling operators, particularly those who serve European players, is staying in line with compliance rules. These regulations are designed to prevent fraud and problem gambling but can also border on the edge of Kafkaesuqe. That’s what Bayton, a Malta-based operator, is finding out as it deals with an odd compliance brought up by Swedish gambling regulators.
Officials at Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling regulatry agency, are calling on Bayton to install more robust player ID methods to insure that only Swedish players are accessing their site (which include ackpot City Casino, Ruby Fortune and Spin Casino). As it stands today, players sign up with a system call BankID, which allows players to prove residency with an ID card and a household bill. It’s that second piece, the household bill, that Spelinspektionen says is not enough.
According to a report on iGamingBusiness.com, regulators want Bayton to only accept Swedish taxpayer IDs, rather than household bills which are easier to fake. Their reasoning is that a potential player could have a Swedish cell phone or utility account, without actually being a resident of Sweden.
A spokesperson for the Spelinspektionen described the situation saying, ““It is not possible to assess whether one person is registered or has resided in Sweden for at least six months based on one documentation that only consists of a single invoice, bank statement. Against this background, the Spelinspektionen considers that Bayton’s routines for ITS KYC process is deficient because there is a risk that the company will register customers who are not resident or permanently residing in Sweden within the meaning of the Gaming Act.”
Bayton has not been accused of any malice or deliberate wrongdoing in the matter and has until June to conduct an internal audit of its policies.