In Sweden, the Ministry of Finance will amend iGaming legislation starting January 1, 2027.
The Swedish Ministry of Finance has presented a proposal to change the principle of applying the Gambling Act. Instead of checking whether a website specifically targets the Swedish market (e.g., Swedish language, SEK currency), the law will apply to all operators accessible to Swedish players. Offshore operators will now be responsible for blocking Swedish residents themselves; otherwise, they will fall under local legislation.
The new rules introduce a presumption for payment providers to treat all transactions as Swedish by default unless proven otherwise. The use of a VPN will not be sufficient proof to rebut this presumption. The measures also criminalize the facilitation of illegal gambling by payment systems and IT service providers.
Sweden will become the first European jurisdiction with such a comprehensive system of presumptions for payment providers.
