New Regulations Empower Swedish Gambling Authority to Combat Problem Gambling
Currently, the Swedish Gambling Act mandates that licensed gambling companies discourage excessive gambling on an individual level and maintain their own responsible gambling action plans
Starting on 1 October, Sweden's gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, will gain new authority to set specific requirements for the content of license holders' action plans aimed at countering excessive gambling. Currently, the Swedish Gambling Act mandates that licensed gambling companies discourage excessive gambling on an individual level and maintain their own responsible gambling action plans, though the specifics of these plans often differ among operators.
The new regulations will enable Spelinspektionen to prescribe detailed requirements for these action plans, with the expectation that a more structured approach will help address problem gambling. Spelinspektionen hopes that, moving forward, operators' action plans will not only clearly outline their responsible gambling guidelines but also provide precise details on how these will be implemented.
Sweden’s Minister of Financial Markets, Niklas Wykman, anticipates that the changes will bring “order” to the way the country's gambling industry promotes responsible gambling. He stated:
“The new requirement should lead to more detailed action plans so that it becomes clear how the gambling companies take their responsibility to counteract risks related to gambling. This strengthens the Swedish Gambling Authority’s ability to prevent people from being affected by the negative aspects of gambling.”
These changes follow proposals from February, which also included authorization for the government to implement a blanket ban on all credit-type gambling transactions, expected to take effect on 1 April 2025.
