Bernd Becker 
Gambling has long been a popular thing to do in Sweden. However, the country only recently opened its market to foreign gambling platforms. Before this, the country’s gambling industry was just the monopoly of one company with the legal right to offer gambling services. However, this one gambling platform could not provide something to suit every Swedish gambler or citizen. This was a result of tight restrictions.
As a result, Sweden’s government suggested that they replace the monopoly of the state gambling industry with a licensing system. This, in turn, led to the establishment of gambling laws for the Swedish market in 2019. Simply put, gambling industries worldwide must adhere to a set of regulations. These can differ from one country to another.
However, one thing these laws all have in common is that they can be challenging to understand. This report tackles the rules and regulations governing the Swedish gambling industry in greater detail. It will also review the various licences required by the Swedish Gambling Authority and everything else we need to know.
History of The Swedish Gambling Market
For decades, the Swedish gambling industry has been disorderly. Sweden has been an ongoing target of EU disputes for going against trade pacts worldwide. The European Union keeps stating that a state monopoly on gambling is illegal. Up until 2018, the state-supervised every form of gambling in Sweden. They had a monopoly on the gambling industry. Hence, they regulated anything, including what gambling platforms could do to the players themselves.
In Sweden’s monopolized gambling sector before 2019, only state-owned or state-controlled platforms, such as Svenska Spel, could provide gambling for profit. Bingo games and lotteries could only be held for event purposes. Svenska Spel, owned by the state, was the only one permitted to offer online gambling to Swedes for a while. This includes casino games and sports betting, among other types of games.
However, things changed when the Swedish government suggested that allowing privatization would be better for everyone. The government followed in the footsteps of Denmark’s lead. They established the Swedish Gambling Authority. On January 1, 2019, Sweden’s government enacted new laws that ended gambling platforms’ monopoly in the state. This, in turn, opened the industry up to foreign operators. The new law created the Swedish Gambling Authority to review gambling licence applications. Sweden’s gambling authority strives to balance allowing players to make their own choices and protecting them from illegal platforms.
Gambling Regulations in Sweden
The gambling regulations employed by the Swedish government are a way of controlling the gambling industry. We’re going to discuss the general rules for the Swedish gambling industry. Over time, there have been changes made to the regulations to ensure gamblers get the best.
Swedish Gambling Act
The Gambling Act ensured the government had total control over Sweden’s gambling activities. Only gambling platforms owned by the state could allow gamblers to gamble for money back then. However, with the internet and the popularity of online gambling, Swedish gamblers were able to play at foreign sites. This caused the Gambling Act to have no choice but to change.
Hence, the government introduced new laws to enable licenced gambling platforms to operate in Sweden. In 2019, the Swedish government passed the new Gambling Act. It was to ensure that gambling platforms could run in Sweden. Once sites like this Swedish casino site have a licence and follow the rules, they are free to operate.
The Swedish Gambling Authority
Online gambling became legal in Sweden in 2002. As a result, for over 15 years, Swedish gamblers have been operating without proper registration. The government established the Swedish Gambling Authority to control unregistered gambling platforms.
The Swedish Gambling Authority issues online gambling licences. It is a leading body on the lottery and gambling activities. This authority ensures the Swedish gambling and gaming market is legal and safe. It also gives lottery permits and controls the gambling platforms in Sweden. The Ministry of Finance controls the Swedish Gambling Authority. This body carries out its mandate within the Lotteries Act and the Casino Act.
Licences in The Swedish Gambling Market
The Swedish Gambling Authority offers two licences for online gambling platforms. These include its commercial online gaming licence and the accompanying gambling licences. Both an individual and an organization may submit a request to get a licence.
A company must submit its articles of association, among others, when applying for a licence. Players who play at licenced casinos don’t get to pay taxes on their winnings. However, gambling taxes must be paid by the platforms themselves.
