Unibet CEO released on bail

Unibet CEO Petter Nylander has been released on bail after having been transferred from the Netherlands to the French legal authorities in Nanterre, Paris. After the hearing, the judge decided to release Nylander under the condition of a bail of 200,000 euros.

In 2006, French lottery monopoly Française des Jeux and horse betting monopoly PMU alleged that Unibet had breached French national laws protecting those state-owned monopolies. Nylander is facing prosecution under these allegations.

In a press release from Unibet, Nylander had this to say about the situation: „Unibet, the company that I run, has always abided by the law. We are transparent and we promote the concept of responsible gaming”.

„Our company is European; we are listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange and audited on a regular basis. The fact that there are numerous legal proceedings ongoing against responsible operators such as Unibet doesn’t make sense at a time when the French Government has publicly referred to the opening of its online gaming market.

„Such proceedings serve only one purpose – the commercial interests of France’s two state-owned monopolies. There is an urgent need for reform of this market where these monopoly operators’ actions are in complete disregard of EU Treaties and the interests of French players.

„It is Unibet’s strong belief that the French consumer should have a choice regarding online betting and gaming, with specific regulation. France has everything to gain from the controlled opening of its market and La Française des Jeux, the PMU and French casino operators alike have an opportunity to be co-leaders together with private operators in the European online gaming market,“ Nylander concluded.