Erik Eldhagen has been appointed Sweden’s new state secretary with responsibility for gambling regulation.
In this role, he will work under financial markets minister Niklas Wykman and will also handle matters related to the financial market, state-owned properties, and the financing of new nuclear power projects.
Eldhagen steps into the position on 1 December. He previously headed the international secretariat at Sveriges Riksbank and has held senior roles in the Ministry of Finance as well as an advisory position at the World Bank.
His appointment coincides with changes at the Swedish Gambling Authority. Since 1 November, Johan Röhr has been serving as acting director general following the departure of Camilla Rosenberg, who led the regulator from 2017 until stepping down on 31 October. Röhr has been the authority’s chief legal officer since 2008.
Regulatory developments have also accelerated over the past year. In September, the Ministry of Finance released Marcus Isgren’s report proposing updates to strengthen the regulatory system, including closing loopholes used by illegal operators targeting Swedish players through English-language websites and euro-denominated payments. The report also recommends expanding the ban on promoting unlicensed gambling to include payment processors, financial institutions, and other service providers that support these operators. Additional proposals include tightening criminal provisions so that participation in or promotion of unlicensed gambling becomes a criminal offense.
Separately, in October the government released the full text of new legislation introducing a full ban on using credit for gambling. While licensed operators are already prohibited from offering credit, this measure extends the ban further and will take effect on 1 April 2026.
Another major shift this year was the closure of Sweden’s remaining land-based casino. Svenska Spel shut down its final venue in Stockholm after parliament voted in April to end land-based casino operations nationwide.
