Sweden Confirms Total Ban on Credit-Funded Gambling from April 2026

Sweden’s Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, has instructed licensed operators to prepare for a full ban on credit-funded gambling transactions, which will take effect in April 2026.

The reform represents one of the most significant regulatory shifts since the relaunch of Sweden’s gambling market in 2019. From the enforcement date, operators will no longer be permitted to process payments via credit cards, loans, overdrafts or buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) schemes.

For the regulator, the move closes a long-debated loophole that has enabled gambling with borrowed money despite earlier restrictions.

Sweden’s 2018 Gambling Act initially targeted the use of credit cards, but loopholes quickly emerged. When the market was re-regulated in 2019, credit card payments were prohibited. However, the ban was partial, and alternative borrowing products such as BNPL and overdrafts continued to fund gambling transactions.

This piecemeal approach drew mounting criticism from consumer groups and policymakers, who argued that vulnerable players were not adequately protected. Calls for reform grew louder following the publication of SOU 2023:38, the government inquiry into risky credit use and over-indebtedness.

Known as the Överskuldsättningsutredningen, the report identified a strong link between gambling-related debt and long-term financial harm. Its conclusion was clear: only a blanket ban on credit-funded gambling would deliver effective consumer protection.

The findings echoed earlier recommendations from the Spelmarknadsutredningen (Gambling Market Inquiry), which had already called for stricter advertising controls, enhanced consumer safeguards and stronger action against unlicensed operators.

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