Swedish Gaming Authority

The Swedish Gaming Authority, Spelinspektionen, is the authority that ensures customer’s safety on the ever-growing Swedish gambling market. This authority has had several different names but did decide on Spelinspektionen as of 2019 when it got a more holistic approach to gaming and the gambling market. The authority is now tasked to ensure that lotteries, casino games and all other gambling related operations in Sweden are practiced in a lawful matter. From January 1st, 2019, the Swedish market is a regulated market, this means that the supply and demand is controlled by the government through regulations that include oversight, taxation etc.

As the Swedish gambling license is rather new, there are only 80 gambling companies with a Swedish gambling license as of 18/04/2019 . The process of applying for a license from Spelinspektionen can be long and tedious. It requires documentation from minimum 6 previous months, a representative for the company based in Sweden in case the company is based outside of the European Economic Area (EEA), and that several other requirements are met. The process does its outmost to make sure that the license is a proof of compliance with the rules and regulations set up by the authority, as well as assuring that the customers are treated with utmost respect, in terms of fair and honest games as well as security of personal data.

The different gambling licenses

Spelinspektionen are tasked to be able to hand out six different types of licenses in accordance to the Swedish gambling law (Spellagen 2018:1138) . The six different types of licenses are:

State-owned gaming

A license that can only be given to a company that is directly or indirectly owned by the state

Gaming for public utility purposes

A license can only be granted to a non-profit association/organisation or registered religious community whose main purpose is to promote public benefit objectives.

Commercial online gambling

Can be granted to anyone with an online gambling platform as long as they abide by the rules and regulations set up by the authority.

Betting

Can be granted to anyone that offers betting, whether it takes place at an online casino or at a land-based casino. Betting includes everything from sportsbetting (which team will win, how many goals will be made etc), odds (where the win is based on probability) to Betting on horses (trot and gallop).

Land-based commercial gaming

Can be granted to any company where gambling occurs outside of a casino. For example, poker tournaments, casino in restaurants or clubs, or prize machines where prizes are products.

Gaming on ships or in international traffic

Can be granted to any company where gambling takes place in slot machines or in classical casino games that do not take place online or on land.

Mission and Tasks

The Swedish Gaming Authority has an overall aim. To reach this aim they have made a mission statement and followed that up with general tasks that need to be completed to reach the overall aim.

A safe gaming market where demand for gambling (online and real) is met under controlled forms and a society where there is a social safety net to fall back on when needed, is how the main aim of the authority is summarized.

The mission can be summarized in three points:

• Monitor the interests of consumers and ensure that the risks of social harm that gambling can bring are reduced

• Work for a healthy and safe gaming market

• Help reduce the supply of illegal games and lotteries

To reach the mission and thereafter the overall goal the four overreaching tasks have been set up. These are as follows:

• Give permission for all licensed games where money is involved in Sweden.

• Have the overall responsibility of controlling gaming and lottery activities.

• Educate and inform about legislation relation to games and lotteries.

• Inform the government about how the gaming market is developing both in Sweden and abroad.