Salespeople in Barcelona are using an aggressive sales approach targeting elderly people to sell S-lotter, according to several former employees in an investigation by Dagens Nyheter.
Lena Hallengren, the Social Democrats' group leader in the Riksdag, says that they have been in contact with Kombispel, the Social Democrats' lottery company that hired the company Effective Communication, where the sales are said to have taken place. Now, the telemarketing operations are being paused, says Hallengren.
We expect Kombispel to get to the bottom of this and find out if the allegations are true, says Hallengren to TT.
This is not what we agreed on, of course, the assignment was not to sell lotteries at any price.
"Unacceptable"
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says that the procedure is something that is otherwise associated with criminal networks that also operate on the Spanish coast and deceive elderly people out of money.
This is completely unacceptable. When the whole of Sweden is mobilizing to stop fraud, the Social Democrats' lottery becomes part of the problem. They must stop it.
Updating the ban
Finance Minister Niklas Wykman (M) also reacts strongly:
This updates the question again about a ban, says Wykman.
The main track from our side was that it should be regulated more clearly, it was also the investigation's proposal, but this updates the question again about a ban.
The investigation he refers to came out in the spring, where the main alternative was that lotteries should not be sold on credit, with limited bonuses, and that the game should be taxed. The investigation did not rule out a ban on lottery activities.
Demanding an apology
The Social Democrats have since the investigation was launched believed that the Tidö parties are only trying to strangle the opposition's income and said that it is a threat to democracy. Statements that Wykman demands that the party should now apologize for.
But Hallengren stands firm.
It is a threat to democracy to ban parties from conducting lotteries, says she to TT.
Kristersson says that the revelation can have significance when reviewing the legislation.
It can, says Kristersson.
The Social Democrats and the youth association SSU are owners of Kombispel, which operates Kombilotteriet. It was founded in 1956. They also have lotteries such as Drömreselotteriet and Glädjelotten.
The turnover for the lotteries is around 250 million kronor per year. In 2022, the profit was 42 million kronor.
The Moderate Party also has a lottery, M-lotten, which has a turnover of around 6 million kronor with a profit of 1.5 million kronor.
An investigation, initiated by the government and the SD, concluded in the spring that the rules for selling party lotteries should be tightened. The Social Democrats believe that the investigation is an undemocratic way for the Tidö parties to strangle the opposition's party funds.
Source: The Social Democrats and others
