As an informed gambler, you can appreciate Sweden’s strict but balanced approach to regulating online gambling. By establishing clear licensing protocols, rigorous operational standards, robust consumer protections, and stringent penalties for violations, the Swedish authorities strive to create an ethical and socially responsible industry.
Companies that obtain one of the six available Swedish gambling licenses commit to being transparent, conducting safety audits, testing games, educating players and supporting responsible gambling. In exchange, licensed operators receive legal market access and the opportunity to sustainably grow their business. Unlicensed entities that avoid regulations face restricted website access, excluded payment channels, multi-million fines and even potential imprisonment.
As a player, you benefit from the Gambling Authority’s oversight. From imposed age limits, deposit and loss limits, and self-exclusion options to the vetting of legitimate, certified operators, Sweden’s framework surrounds you with helpful safeguards. As regulations continue to improve at national and European levels, licensed Swedish sites ranked on portals like toppenspelen.se offer you entertaining, trusted games in a well-protected atmosphere.
License requirements and types
All gambling operators serving Swedish players require a license issued by the Swedish Gambling Authority. There are six types of licenses:
State-operated gaming license: For lottery, keno, slots and land-based casinos owned by the state.
Charitable gaming license: For non-profit lotteries that benefit public causes.
Online Gaming License: For interactive games and casinos.
Betting license: For betting operators and betting services, both online and land-based.
Land-based commercial gaming license: For privately owned physical casinos and gaming halls.
Maritime gambling license: For casinos on board ships operating in international waters.
To qualify, applicants must meet specifications around ownership (the majority owner must undergo a suitability assessment), demonstrate professional experience, have an acceptable credit rating and more. Operators must undergo third-party testing to certify IT security, randomness of games, and that player identity procedures comply with standards.
Once a Swedish gambling license is issued, operators agree to ongoing supervision including audits, inspections of player funds, mandatory reporting of gambling metrics and monitoring of bonus policies and responsible gambling elements on their platforms. Failure to comply may result in fines, license suspension or revocation.
Age limits and self-exclusion
Sweden has strict rules to protect vulnerable groups and provide self-help tools in gambling regulation. Below are the main age limits and self-exclusion measures.
| Dimensions | Description of the project |
| Legal gambling age | 18 years for online gambling and lotteries; 20 years for land-based casinos and arcades |
| Identity verification | Operators must verify the player’s identity and age at registration through methods such as BankID or passport/driver’s license |
| National self-exclusion register | Players can suspend themselves from all licensed gambling sites in Sweden by registering at Spelpaus.se |
| Self-exclusion period | Initial suspension for 1-12 months, can be extended continuously in 6-12 month intervals |
| Responsibilities of the operator | Must suspend any restricted player’s account, restrict re-registration attempts and refrain from marketing to excluded players |
| Sanctions | Operators who break the rules risk fines, license suspension or revocation depending on the seriousness of the violation |
By enforcing age limits and offering a national self-exclusion option, authorities empower players to control their own gambling. Licensed operators must strictly adhere to both identity verification and self-exclusion list protocols or risk significant penalties.
Deposit and loss limits
Licensed gambling operators in Sweden must implement the following safeguards:
Maximum weekly deposit limit of SEK 5,000 per player
Maximum monthly loss limit of SEK 20,000 per player
Players must set time limits for their gaming sessions
Operators must track player activity and analyze data to identify patterns of problem gambling
Players can voluntarily lower their limits by contacting customer support
Operators can impose additional restrictions on high-risk players
By introducing these mandatory limits, Sweden aims to promote responsible gambling. Players have the flexibility to adjust the settings based on their personal situations. Oversight ensures that operators actively maintain player protection standards or risk losing their licenses.
Penalties for unlicensed gambling
Swedish authorities are introducing tough penalties to discourage unregulated gambling activities:
Operators can be fined up to SEK 100 million or 10% of total turnover if this amount is higher
Company management can also face personal fines of up to SEK 500 000
Sites that violate laws can be ordered to display consumer warning messages
The Gaming Inspectorate directs ISPs to block access to unauthorized domains
Unlicensed operators blacklisted from the Swedish market
Financial transactions between illegal websites and players are restricted
Persons promoting illegal gambling can be sentenced to up to 2 years in prison
Players risk losing accounts/funds from non-compliant operators without refund
Sweden blocks over 2,000 domains annually and imposes fines of over SEK 100 million to combat illegal gambling. Such strict measures force operators to obtain the right license or leave the Swedish market altogether. These measures are strengthened when the Swedish Gambling Authority cooperates across borders to tackle unauthorized foreign websites.
The Swedish Gambling Authority’s role and responsibilities
As Sweden’s national gambling regulator, the Swedish Gambling Authority oversees licensing, conducts operator audits, monitors industry metrics, commissions research and enforces regulations. Its main tasks include:
Evaluating license applications and ensuring that applicants meet suitability standards
Monitoring licensed operators’ compliance with all game rules and license conditions
Imposing sanctions such as fines, suspensions or revocation for violations
Maintain the national self-exclusion register Spelpaus.se
Block financial transactions with unlicensed gambling sites
Direct ISPs to restrict access to unauthorized domains
Inform the public about the risks of illegal gambling
Publish annual reports on industry data including total revenue, player activity and problem gambling levels
Fund responsible gambling initiatives and treatment of gambling addiction
Participate in European regulatory forums to raise standards
The effects of the 2019 gambling law
In 2019, Sweden introduced new gambling laws to better regulate the market. These reforms have had a significant impact on the gambling industry and consumer protection:
| Aspect | Description of the project |
| Market expansion | Previously state-controlled, now licensed private companies are allowed to compete legally |
| Taxation | Introduced 18% tax on operators’ gambling revenues |
| Consumer protection | Strengthened responsible gambling tools such as mandatory deposit limits |
| Self-exclusion | Launched national register Spelpaus.se for players to block themselves |
| Licensing | Simplified application process and modernized standards |
| Enforcement | Gave the Gambling Authority more authority to monitor the industry and sanction violations |
| Performance indicators | Gambling tax revenue over SEK 2.2 billion in 2020; Registered Spelpaus.se users increased by 61%; Problem gambling level stable below 2% |
By opening the market while raising regulatory standards, Sweden has achieved wide-ranging objectives: facilitating responsible industry growth, funding public initiatives through tax revenues, strengthening player protection and working towards reducing gambling addiction. Early metrics indicate that the regime balances business opportunities with harm minimization. However, long-term data is required to fully evaluate the results