Sweden — Gambling Regulation

Re-regulated on January 1, 2019 by the Spellag (2018:1138): an open licence system under Spelinspektionen replaced the state monopoly for betting and commercial online gaming, with Spelpaus self-exclusion across all licensees.

Legal status by vertical

The 2019 re-regulation

Sweden ended its state gambling monopoly on January 1, 2019, when the Spellag (2018:1138) opened betting and commercial online gaming to licensed competition under Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority. The licence system is modular — betting, commercial online gaming, state lottery and other categories are licensed separately — and B2B game suppliers have needed their own licences since July 2023.

Spelpaus, the national self-exclusion register, was built in from day one: every licensee must check it, and a player excluded on Spelpaus.se is excluded everywhere at once. Sweden's bonus rule is the bluntest in Europe — one welcome offer per operator, ever; ongoing promotions to existing customers are simply not part of the licensed product.

What remained state-owned

Re-regulation was a partial opening, not a privatisation. Svenska Spel kept the legacy segments — lotteries and land-based casino — as exclusive rights, while its commercial arm competes in the open market on the same terms as private licensees.

The tax followed the market's maturity: 18% of gross gaming revenue at launch, raised to 22% on July 1, 2024. Sweden's position in the European pattern is the moderate one — meaningful product rules and a mid-range GGR tax, without Germany's stake limits or the Dutch tax curve — which is what makes its channelling debate a bellwether for the re-regulators around it.

Key facts

• Spelpaus.se self-exclusion is mandatory for every licensee
• Licence types are modular: betting, commercial online gaming, state lottery etc.
• B2B game-supplier licences mandatory since July 2023

Frequently asked questions