In the second week of September, a case involving betting firm Ladbrokes versus Denmark's lottery and sports betting monopoly Danske Spil resulted in a favorable court ruling for the U.K. company.

The following week, in Sweden, Ladbrokes won an identical case against Sweden's gaming monopoly Svenska Spel.

At issue in both cases were television ad campaigns by Ladbrokes, which made use of the phrases "Danske spil"and "Svenska spel"-literally "Danish game" and "Swedish game"-and which the national operators believed were improper uses of trademarks. However, both the Danish and the Swedish courts ruled that the respective companies had no claim over the mere usage of the words.

The language used in the ads translated to "Danish game, English odds" and "Swedish game, English odds," by which Ladbrokes sought to promote a presumably more player-friendly payout structure than is offered by the national monopolies.

In a statement, Ladbrokes CEO Christopher Bell said, "This case means that Swedish monopolies cannot extend their power to monopolizing language. We will continue to highlight the consumer benefits of a competitive market in betting and gaming in contrast to disproportionate state monopoly laws and actions that restrict competition and choice."

The company had previously released a similar statement on the Danish ruling.

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.