A government-run online casino set up to control internet gambling has been told it is breaking European competition law.

Svenska Spel was formed in 2005, and runs online poker as well as the Sweden’s national lottery and sports betting.

Looking for Problems

But figures from Sweden’s National Institute of Public Health which reveal that Swedes gambling online spend much more than their land-based counterparts have caused a public uproar over the company’s huge profits.

Now Sweden’s finance minister Andres Borg is demanding Svenska Spel keep tabs on players’ wins and losses to stop them from becoming problem gamblers.

Monopoly Money

And Svenska Spel’s discomfort has doubled with news that its monopoly of the home market is breaking EU free trade rules.

Insiders are predicting it will sell off its lotto and sports betting business in a bid to keep trading but faces a savage cut in revenues as a result.