The Swedish state-owned lottery operator, Svenska Spel, has welcomed proposed amendments to the country’s Gambling Act to enhance the fight against illegal operators.
Earlier this week, the Swedish Ministry of Finance proposed changes to the 2018 Gambling Act which various operators have been calling for several years. The main enhancement proposed is a replacement of the ‘directional criterion’ with a ‘participant criterion’.
This would incorporate online gaming firms which do not directly target Swedish customers under Swedish gaming law. Essentially, offshore firms must prove that they have taken ‘appropriate and effective measures’ to prevent Swedes from gaming on their platforms
Both Svenska Spel and the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gaming (BOS) have welcomed the changes as a ‘long-awaited’ enhancement against the black market, with channelisation rates having been a thorn in Swedish gaming’s side for years.
Anna Johnson, CEO of Svenska Spel, said: The change is expected to further strengthen the Swedish gambling market and protect consumers against the unlicensed operators who still target Swedish players.”
The 2018 re-regulation of Sweden’s gaming space broke the monopoly previously held by Svenska Spel, which is not only the operator of the country’s National Lottery but also offers casino and betting products.
Overall channelisation towards the regulated market remains consistent though slightly below the government’s target of 90%, while betting averages around 92%-96%, but casino products lag behind at 85-87%.
This may be due to restrictions on Swedish online casino games which have made offshore products more appealing to some. Regardless, for Svenska Spel and others the enhancement of measures against offshore firms is more than welcome.
“The investigator’s proposals are long-awaited and welcome”, Johnson continued. “We have long been concerned that the regulations surrounding illegal gambling need to be tightened.
“This is about improved protection for consumers, but also about safeguarding trust in the entire Swedish gambling market. That gambling should take place in a responsible and sustainable manner is the very foundation of our operations.”
