Svenska Spel has published a report containing 18 reform proposals aimed at reshaping Sweden’s gambling market. The recommendations focus heavily on consumer protection, tackling illegal gambling, and reinforcing regulatory oversight.
The report comes as the sector continues to struggle with unlicensed operators, rising problem gambling among vulnerable groups, and a channelisation rate that remains below the government’s 90% target.
Since the 2019 re-regulation designed to curb offshore gambling, key challenges have persisted. Illegal platforms remain accessible, problem gambling, especially among young people and women, has increased, and high-risk products like online casino games continue to drive market growth. Svenska Spel warns that without urgent reform, both consumer protection and confidence in licensed gambling are at risk.
The proposals fall into two main categories: safeguarding the market and enhancing consumer protection. On the market side, Svenska Spel suggests a risk classification system for gambling law, applying stricter rules to higher-risk products while easing requirements for low-risk ones like lotteries. It also urges the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) to provide clearer rules on licensees’ duty of care, moving away from what it describes as a weak self-regulation model. Stronger enforcement powers are also recommended, including risk-based inspections, wider authority to issue injunctions, and measures such as DNS-blocking to shut out unlicensed operators, similar to systems in Denmark, Norway, and Singapore.
Additional proposals seek to strengthen restrictions on promoting unlicensed gambling, extending bans to payment providers, social media, and communication platforms. Licensed operators would be required to publish transparency reports on responsible gambling practices.
In terms of consumer protection, Svenska Spel calls for stricter safeguards for vulnerable groups, including people under 25 and those returning from self-exclusion via Spelpaus. Measures would include tighter marketing and deposit limits, credit checks to detect risky behavior, and the creation of a national register to block access to quick loans. The report also suggests banning all gambling bonuses, prohibiting direct marketing to under-25s, ensuring self-excluded individuals receive mandatory counselling calls, and providing long-term funding for addiction support organizations. Practical banking restrictions, such as allowing customers to block gambling payments and preventing operators from reversing withdrawal requests, are also recommended.
The report emphasizes that gambling remains a major public health concern, with nearly half of all calls to the national helpline in 2023 related to online casino play. Youth gambling is also on the rise, with close to 50% of Swedish upper secondary school boys reporting gambling in the past year.
Svenska Spel frames its proposals not as punitive measures, but as necessary steps to safeguard the sustainability of the licensed market. By contrasting Sweden’s relatively weak enforcement with stronger international models, the company urges lawmakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders to act decisively. The reforms, it argues, are essential to restore trust in the system, reduce harm, and ensure that gambling in Sweden remains safe, responsible, and sustainable.
