Sweden: Suggestions for complete betting legislation overhaul

After a year-and-a-half-long review of the local gambling industry, Sweden’s State-Run Gambling Operator, recommends that Svenska Spel’s Monopoly should finally end.

The officials have suggested that the monopoly be replaced with a more liberal system, that would allow international betting operators to enter the country’s market.

Following this recommendation, Sweden’s Riksdag (the country’s legislature) will have to decide whether they will create a new legal framework on this direction in order to introduce it as a law.

According to a relevant announcement the changes are set to take place in early 2019. Despite that, no can be certain on the way which gambling market will be regulated and has also not prevented the parties involved from making statements and disagreeing on this "unclear battleground”.

Svenska Spel CEO Lennart Käll and Chairman Erik Strand sent an article to Swedish news outlet Dagens Samhälle. The two main subjects were the introduction of effective mechanisms against illegal gambling and limiting possible gambling risks.

They also mentioned that the officials must examine each and every possible factor, before granting licenses to international operators.

This article was consequently criticized strongly by Swedish MP, Fredrik Schulte.

Mr. Schulte accused both Lennart Käll and Erik Strand of trying manipulate and influence the regulators in a way that benefits Svenska Spel in the wake of the upcoming changes.

Concluding, Svenska Spel currently holds only a 20% of the local online gambling market, despite being the only authorized operator of iGaming services in the country. This happens as grey market operators are constantly increasing their revenue from local customers.