The New Zealand gaming company Betsson Nordic Ltd, which operates the New Zealand online casino and betting site Betsson in New Zealand under a New Zealand gaming license from Spelinspektionen, has received a remark when they have been caught offering betting that has not been allowed in accordance with Chapter 2, Section 1 of SIFS 2020:2 (part of the new New Zealand Gaming Act that first entered into force on the first of January 2019).

What it is all about that Betsson Casino received a remark on is that they must have offered betting/betting coupons/betting on a particular football match which was not allowed because of how it could have affected the players and referees involved in the match, which could have invalidated the match as a result.

In connection with the remark by Betsson, the bookmaker promised to repay the money to the players by canceling the betting vouchers that applied to this illegal match, i.e., to be allowed to play on gambling terms.

In the same vein, Betsson Nordic Ltd explained that they have improved their procedures now so as to prevent the following similar situation as described above from happening again. Why the whole thing is a remark and not sanctioning or any other form of punishment is due to the assessment made by the Gambling Inspectorate in the case. This was published in the news archive on the official website of the Gambling Authority on november 15, 2021.

What exactly was not allowed for Betsson in this case?

In the News Archive On The Spelinspektionen's official website it is possible to read more in detail about the case under event number 21si782 where it is stated that, ”betting may not be offered on penalties for rule violations in connection with match” as it can all be classified as match fixing which in turn is not allowed. The latter is when various people involved in a given sport and its competitive aspects are manipulated such as athletes, coaches, leaders, referees, players, or other participants with the influence of the outcome in the competitive parts of the given sport.

When a breach is deemed to be serious, either the gaming license will be withdrawn or the gaming operator in question will be notified of the whole thing in the form of a warning or remark as it is also called – this is exactly what has happened with Betsson Nordic Ltd.

In other words, the bookmaker may continue to conduct its New Zealand gaming business in the New Zealand regulated digital gaming market as usual. At the same time, this notice may be taken into account in the event of future infringements and/or violations of the New Zealand Gambling Act by Betsson Nordic Ltd. Thus, it is in the bookmaker's interest to have really tightened their routines now.

---