A few days ago, the government-owned gambling operator used Dagens Industri, Sweden’s largest business newspaper, to map out 18 proposals. The op-ed by Anna Johnson, Svenska Spel CEO, argued that the local regulated market is underperforming. She also added that the government failed to reach the target of 90% for legally licensed gambling, as the 2019 Gambling Act stipulated.
Has A War Of Operators Just Started?
Sweden’s betting industry was a monopoly under Svenska Spel for several decades until re-regulation in 2019 and the expansion to a multi-license market. In recent months, there has been an influx of overseas firms targeting Swedish players. Svenska Spel’s proposals focus on stronger protections for under-25s, stopping unlicensed operators, restricting advertising and banning the bonus offers.
The government wants to reduce the number of offshore companies in a similar way to how Finland did in 2025. The problem is that the Branschföreningen för Onlinespel has challenged this stance, warning that the measures would have the opposite effect.
What Does The Opposition Say?
The Branschföreningen för Onlinespel obviously questioned the motives behind Svenska Spel’s latest proposals, suggesting they may not be solely focused on consumer protection. The Association highlighted that while restrictions affect the private betting companies, Svenska Spel is gaining an advantage as it operates across both monopoly and competitive markets.
It was Gustaf Hoffstedt, BOS Secretary General, who used the same medium, Dagens Industry, to reply to what is now named “battle of the co-eds” in the country. “If Svenska Spel’s proposals were to go through, even greater market shares await unlicensed and illegal online operators”, he said: “It is a natural consequence if the locally licensed betting companies are prevented or prohibited from marketing themselves and their products”.
Who Leads In Sweden’s iGaming Power Game?
Hoffstadt believes that Svenska Spel proposals will strengthen the state operator’s dominance. He also highlights the fact that additional restrictions could cover the locally licensed brand visibility and worsen the country’s gambling landscape rather than improve it.
Instead, the BOS Secretary General pointed towards Denmark’s model, where over 90% of betting occurs within the licensed sector. The regulatory direction in the neighboring country relies on creating an attractive, consumer-friendly environment instead of enforcing punitive measures.
BOS reaffirmed its support for initiatives targeting illegal gambling, but this doesn’t really include policies like DNS blocking and payment bans, as the Association believes that these measures do little to influence the players’ behaviour.
