Sweden’s Patent and Market Court of Appeal overturned a lower court ruling and rejected ATG’s trademark claims against LeeWrangler Sweden, Dressmann and Wrangler Apparel. The ruling requires ATG to pay more than SEK10m in legal costs and cannot be appealed.
The ruling leaves the clothing companies free to use the disputed mark and makes ATG liable for their legal costs.
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ATG chief executive Hasse Lord Skarplöth renewed his call for a tax reduction on horse betting in Sweden, reportedly saying the channelisation argument for current tax policy no longer applies. The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) argued that a carve-out would conflict with EU rules.
Executives from 13 gambling operators asked Sweden’s Ministry of Finance to reject a proposal for differentiated gambling taxes, according to reports. The proposal would cut the horse-betting rate from 22% to 18% and raise rates on other gambling products, including online casinos, to 26%; the operators warned it could weaken channelisation.
BOS secretary general Gustaf Hoffstedt criticised ATG chief executive Hasse Lord Skarplöth’s proposal to increase taxes on licensed online gambling in Sweden. Hoffstedt cited ATG’s Q3 channelisation estimate of 74% to 85%, below the government’s 90% target, and argued that higher taxes could push players to unlicensed operators.
The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) has opposed a proposed ban on bonuses in Sweden, which Svenska Spel and ATG chief executives proposed in an opinion article on 7 November. BOS argued that a ban could push customers towards unlicensed gambling and benefit the two former monopoly operators; the proposal’s proponents said bonuses could contribute to gambling problems and attract younger people.
Swedish horseracing betting operator ATG has complained to Finland’s Competition and Consumer Authority, alleging that Veikkaus is abusing its position as it scales back their partnership. ATG says Veikkaus plans to stop distributing Swedish trotting races and data in Finland and to stop taking bets; Finland’s proposed law would allow licensed online gambling competition from 2027.