Spelinspektionen, the Gambling Authority of Sweden, has imposed an immediate ban on Immortal Snail LLC, the operator of the offshore gambling site Duel.com. The platform has drawn considerable attention over the years due to its controversial marketing strategies, which include provocative social media content and advertising practices that have faced scrutiny from the regulated gambling sector. Duel.com operates under a license from the Anjouan Gaming Authority, utilizing a .com domain.
The regulatory body stated that this enforcement action was executed to protect consumers. However, concerns remain regarding the effectiveness of the ban, as offshore operators may not adhere to such regulations or face penalties.
In a court filing from Spelinspektionen, Immortal Snail responded to the enforcement of these restrictions by claiming that Swedish is a global language, and that blocking Sweden from accessing their site via IP address was a feasible approach. The document reveals the following statement from the company:
"Immortal Snail LLC has stated that Swedish is an international language and posited that Sweden can be blocked from utilizing the internet via IP address. The company cannot control whether payments are made in Swedish currency (SEK) and should not be compelled to stop offering Swedish as a language option on its website."
Despite these claims, the regulator found that Immortal Snail had not put the proposed restrictions into place. Spelinspektionen noted that Swedish currency (SEK) and the Swedish language still appeared when accessing the site from a Swedish IP address. Additionally, they observed ongoing promotions and marketing in Swedish on Duel.com.
The timing of this enforcement action coincides with continued criticism of Duel.com regarding its advertising practices. Past marketing efforts have included sexually explicit content featuring actresses engaged in various acts while playing blackjack, as well as videos depicting actors dressed as German soldiers from the Nazi era. These promotions have raised alarms about offshore gambling firms targeting vulnerable demographics, particularly younger audiences, through social media.
This situation has garnered attention from both regulators and industry organizations, spurring calls for more stringent regulations against illegal gambling advertisements facilitated by global technology companies.
