The previous Swedish horse racing wagering monopoly, AB Trav och Galopp (ATG), has initiated legal action against Svenska Spel, alleging that its recently introduced Svenska Spel Trav och Galopp horse racing offering infringes upon its trademark.
Per Ericsson, ATG’s legal representative from the law firm Gulliksson, stated that ATG registered the term “Trav och Galopp” with the Swedish Companies Registration Office in 1973.
Ericsson clarified that this implies Svenska Spel’s utilization of the term breaches ATG’s exclusive rights to the trademark.
“We have brought this matter to Svenska Spel’s attention, but Svenska Spel has still opted to continue employing Trav och Galopp in its promotion of horse racing betting,” he remarked. “Consequently, we are now choosing to file a lawsuit against Svenska Spel, which will be adjudicated by the Patent and Market Court.”
In September of this year, Svenska Spel introduced its Trav och Galopp product in partnership with Pari-Mutuel Urbain (PMU) in France, which ignited a verbal dispute between ATG CEO Hasse Lord Skarplöth and Svenska Spel’s counterpart, Patrik Hofbauer.
Skarplöth denounced the introduction of Svenska Spel Trav and Galopp, asserting it would result in a reduction of ATG income, thereby depriving the Swedish horse racing sector of vital funding.
Hoffstedt countered these accusations in an online post, claiming they had been negotiating a financial agreement with the Swedish horse racing governing body, Svensk Travsport.
Following the announcement of the legal action, Skarplöth declared that his organization was “not apprehensive of competition.”
“ATG believes rivalry is advantageous,” he stated. “However, existing regulations and rights must be honored.
“It is our duty to safeguard our brand, and we have a responsibility to Svensk Travsport and Svensk Galopp, as well as tens of thousands of individuals across the nation who work in the equestrian industry,” he explained. “ATG is the sole betting company that contributes to the well-being of equestrian sports, so this is about safeguarding the future of Swedish horse racing.”
Despite Skarplöth’s calls for a mandatory levy on horse racing profits, rather than solely on ATG, Anna-Lena Sörensson, head of the Swedish Gambling Market Commission (Spelmarknadsutredningen), dismissed these calls in October.
ATG reported that income in the third quarter of 2020 increased by 18.3% year-on-year to SEK 1.38 billion (£120.4 million/€133.3 million/$157.6 million), of which SEK 1.19 billion originated from Swedish horse racing.
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