Swedish Officials Try To Kill Expekt Advertising
Published: Monday, March 12, 2007 Online-Casinos.com
SWEDISH OFFICIALS TRY TO KILL EXPEKT ADVERTISING
More evidence that Swedish officialdom does not like competition
Sweden's Gaming Board (Lotteriinspektionen) came on heavy this week with a warning to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that it would be in contempt of court if it went ahead and published an advertisement for Maltese gambling company Expekt, following a ruling that authorised penalties for foreign gambling advertisements from the Södermanland district court.
The court apparently confirmed last Thursday that the Board could fine Aftonbladet a draconian 150 000 kronor for every foreign gambling advertisement published.
Håkan Hallstedt, the board's chief legal advisor said "One wonders how many convictions will be needed for the newspapers to stop publishing these advertisements."
A spokesperson for Aftonbladet said that it did not consider that it had done anything illegal, and that it now was "going to read the judgment, and probably appeal, although a decision on that has not yet been taken."
The paper has three weeks to appeal, after which the Gaming Board will be able to start imposing the fines.
Under Swedish law, gambling companies are prohibited by law from promoting *non-authorised* gaming companies.
