The Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) has temporarily revoked Charm Entertainment AB’s license for commercial land-based casino operations, mandating the immediate halt of all activities licensed under this approval. This decision, dated October 1, 2026, will remain enforceable while a final determination is pending, or until April 1, 2027, at the latest.
The regulator's oversight began with a supervisory investigation initiated on May 27, 2026. This inquiry focused on the company's adherence to the Swedish Gambling Act as well as related tax, accounting, and financial record-keeping regulations.
As part of its probe, Spelinspektionen examined Charm's annual reports for 2023 to 2025, alongside documentation linked to an ongoing preliminary criminal investigation being conducted at the Södertälje District Court.
The grounds for the license revocation stem from what Spelinspektionen identified as “probable reasons” indicating that Charm may no longer meet the legal requirements necessary for holding such a license. Several current and former executives associated with the company face serious charges, including aggravated accounting offenses, linked to Lucky 21 Casino AB, which was also a licensed casino operator.
The two firms operate in close proximity and share many personnel, leading to concerns that improper practices established at Lucky 21 could be taking place at Charm as well.
Investigations uncovered significant discrepancies in Charm's annual financial statements, such as the submission of two separate filings for the 2023 fiscal year, thereby raising serious questions about the company's bookkeeping compliance.
The regulator underscored the gravity of the alleged offenses and the connections between personnel at Lucky 21 and Charm. Given the potential for ongoing misconduct, an immediate suspension was deemed necessary to prevent possible criminal activities from continuing or for gambling operations to function under inadequate accounting practices.
Although the revocation is subject to appeal, it can be enforced for up to six months initially, with a possibility for a six-month extension under certain conditions.
Recently, Spelinspektionen had its fine against the Malta-based operator LeoVegas annulled. The penalty had been imposed for claimed violations of Sweden's Gambling Act care provisions. Nevertheless, a ruling issued on June 12 found the evidence against LeoVegas was clear-cut, resulting in the complete reversal of the earlier regulatory decision following a detailed review of the evidence and legal arguments.
