Sweden’s online gambling monopoly days are numbered

After years of foot-dragging and political argument, Sweden’s centre-left government has finally published its proposed regulations for the liberalisation of the market, especially in the online sector.

The European Commission-approved regulations will largely (but not entirely) end the dominance of state-owned gambling companies, opening licensing to companies from other European Community nations and hopefully persuading major Swedish gambling groups like Betsson and Kindred to return to home shores.

The Reuters news agency reports that the regulations, which have yet to be approved by parliament, propose an 18 percent tax on GGR of operators and are largely in line with a government study unveiled last year (see previous reports).

“The now proposed gambling legislation means that anyone active in the Swedish gambling market should do so with a valid licence and that actors without licenses will be shut out,” the statement said.

Swedish Public Administration Minister Ardalan Shekarabi told a news conference the legislation would make it a crime to promote unlicensed gambling, for instance by advertising, while payments between unlicensed firms and gamblers could be blocked.

Some types of gambling, such as the handful of state-run land casinos operating in Sweden, would remain monopolies. The legislation is proposed to come into force from the turn of the year if approved by parliament.

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