Since the introduction of the Swedish Gambling Act that came into force on January 1, 2019, several restrictions have been imposed on licensed bookies in Sweden. Many bettors find it hard to cope with the aforementioned restrictions. Therefore, they opt for bettings sites without a Swedish license by Spelinspektionen. They prefer to bet on unlicensed bookmakers as they can enjoy more than one bonus & a wide variety of promotions, higher football odds and deposits with no upper limit.
Betting without Swedish License: What are the Βookies' Αdvantages
As soon as betting in Sweden got regulated, many bookmakers exited the market, while others continued to operate without a license. These are the reasons why players prefer them.
- There are no deposit limits: Unlicensed bookies don’t fall under the jurisdiction of the Gambling Act. Thus, their members are free to make deposits with no upper limit. On the other hand, all licensees are required to set deposit limits for their players in order to support responsible gambling.
- No BankID verification needed: Many Swedes don’t have a BankID. Non-licensed bookies do not ask for it in order to sign up or log in. Those who bet on licensed bookmakers though are obliged to verify their account with BankID upon registration.
- Entitled to more than one bonus: The Swedish gambling regulation allows players to enjoy only one bonus per bookmaker. However, unlicensed operators do not abide by this rule and offer many competitive bonuses and great bookmaker promotions.
- Higher odds on football competitions: Although there are several brands traditionally known for their competitive football odds, unlicensed bookies manage to deliver higher rates. More specifically, 1XBet and 22Bet combined offer a 97%+ overall payout on fixtures of the major European leagues.
- No Spelpaus.se self-exclusion required: In order to fight gambling addiction, the Swedish state introduced the self-exclusion system Spelpaus. That system allows bettors to self-exclude from all bookies licensed by Spelinspektionen. Nonetheless, non-licensed sportsbooks don’t participate in this self-suspension movement, and players can join them even if they’ve previously self-excluded from a licensee.
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Unlicensed betting sites in Sweden: Are there any disadvantages?
It’s true that the advantages that Swedish online bookmakers without a local license have, are more significant than drawbacks. Nevertheless, we must refer to them, too, as we aim to analyze every unique factor in the industry like crypto gambling.
- Longer registration process with no BankID: All licensed bookies are required to offer BankID as it makes the verification process easier and faster. On the other hand, it might take a bit longer to verify your account if you opt for a no BankID bookie.
- 30% tax applied on winnings: Those who bet on licensed Swedish bookies aren’t taxed on their winnings. However, those who do so on unlicensed ones might get taxed. More specifically, if you’d like to bet on a bookmaker that holds a license issued outside of the EU (a Curacao license, for example), then you’ll have to pay a 30% tax on your winnings (in case you declare the winnings).
- Not all unlicensed bookmakers accept SEK: Although it’s a prerequisite for sportsbooks in Sweden to accept SEK in order to be eligible for a license, this doesn't apply to unlicensed bookies. Unfortunately, it isn’t guaranteed that the Swedish Krona is accepted by every non-licensed bookmaker, and this means that bettors should select a different deposit currency.
- Not every unlicensed bookie offers the Swedish language: All licensees have fully optimized their site for local bettors since they are translated into Swedish. They also offer support in Swedish. Whereas plenty of those that haven’t applied for a permit do not offer Swedish as a standard language.
- Relatively limited payment methods: When it comes to depositing funds to your account, you want a bookie that offers a plethora of payment methods. Unfortunately, many unlicensed bookmakers do not offer popular payments such as Trustly and PayPal.
How to Use Betting Sites Without Swedish License trustly
Some bettors are having a hard time distinguishing between a licensed and an unlicensed Swedish bookie. All you have to do, though, is to check the features below. You can also check the My Stake betting site in order to have more options for quality online services.
- 1 No Spelinspektionen logo at the bottom of the homepage. A betting site without a Swedish license does not have the logo of the Swedish Gambling Authority on the footer of its homepage. On the other hand, every licensed bookmaker has it.
- 2 No BankID logo on the registration form. If you don’t come across the BankID logo while you’re on the 1st step of the registration process, then you know you’re an unlicensed bookie. On the contrary, all licensed Sweden betting sites are required to provide BankID verification.
- 3 There is more than one bonus available. It’s pretty easy to find this. All you gotta do is click on the bookmaker’s bonus page. If you find more than one promotion (such as daily or weekly offers), then you’re definitely an unlicensed bookie. Nonetheless, if you see only the welcome bonus, then it means that you are a licensed operator.
The main reasons why some bookies don’t apply for a license
Many international bookmakers have decided not to apply for a Swedish license due to a series of reasons. Below we present you the most significant ones. It's critical to comprehend the reasons, especially when you aren't satisfied and you intend to write a bookmaker complaints form.
- Not willing to pay the 18% tax for operators: All the bookmakers that are licensed by Spelinspektionen are obliged to pay an 18% tax on their gross gaming revenue. Nevertheless, there are several international bookies that aren’t willing to do the same. Therefore, they remain unlicensed.
- They don’t want to pay the license fee: In order to obtain a betting license in Sweden, an operator must pay a license fee that stands at SEK400,000. When it comes to renewing the license, a bookie is required to pay SEK300,000. One can easily understand that many sportsbooks can’t afford to pay that much to get a permit. Thus, they decide to operate without having one.
- Part of a group that decided not to acquire licenses for all its brands: Some unlicensed Swedish sportsbooks might belong to a large group that decided not to acquire licenses for all of its brands. Most of the time, this is simply happening in order to save a significant amount of money.
- Not willing to comply with bonus and marketing restrictions: Since the imposition of the Gambling Act and the regulation of the market, penalties have been imposed on operators that failed to comply with the provisions related to bonuses and advertising. Hence, the bookies that cannot stand the financial burden of compliance decided not to apply for a license.
How to deposit at unlicensed bookmakers in Sweden
It is an undeniable fact that the most popular deposit methods among Swedish bettors are Nordea (which is available on 22Bet), Trustly and Zimpler. Apart from Zimpler, two other mobile payments that are growing in popularity are Boku and Siru. One can find them both on unlicensed sportsbooks such as Betwinner and 22Bet, while Siru is also available on Melbet. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that the vast majority of those who opt for no Swedish license bookies prefer to deposit funds to their accounts via e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller and EcoPayz.
Complete list of betting sites without Swedish License
You can follow our complete list of Swedish unlicensed betting sites and check their odds value, but also the number of the offered markets. We mostly focused on their availability, as well as if they have exclusive bonuses to offer. Meanwhile, you can check our 20bet Review and Rolleto Review to have more options for safe and legal betting.
Although it might be technically illegal to bet on Swedish online bookmakers without a license, no player has ever been prosecuted or fined for doing so. The local authorities might be strict when it comes to operators’ licensing criteria, nonetheless they haven’t gone so far as to penalize those who opt for non licensed bookies.
No, your winnings deriving from unlicensed SE bookmakers are not subject to tax, provided that the bookie you have selected holds a license issued within the EU. On the other hand, if a sportsbook has an offshore license, such as those issued in Curacao for example, you will be asked to pay a 30% tax on your betting winnings.
Yes, it is absolutely safe to place your bets on Swedish online bookies without a license due to the fact that a sportsbook doesn’t have to be approved by Spelinspektionen in order to be deemed reliable. Major unlicensed brands, such as 1XBet and 22Bet, are very popular among Swedes who are disappointed by the Swedish Gambling Authority’s restrictions.
In order to determine whether you’re betting on a bookie without a Swedish license or on a licensed one, all you have to do is to check the bottom of its home page. As soon as you’re down there, search for the official logo of the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen). If you can’t find it, then it means that you’re on a betting site that is unlicensed.
Yes, you can. Even if you have previously self-excluded from betting on a licensed betting site in Sweden by entering the Spelpaus.se platform, you can still wager on an unlicensed bookie. This happens due to the fact that all Swedish bookmakers without license are not registered with Spelpaus. Consequently, they accept players even if they are on a gambling break.