Sweden is a Scandinavian Nordic country located in Northern Europe and is the third-largest EU member-state. It’s divided into twenty-one counties and 290 municipalities, with a population of 10.2 million. The capital city of Stockholm is also the best for gaming – with three casinos offering poker rooms and hundreds of slots, table games, and video poker machines.

While gambling online in Sweden has been legal for some time – both at land-based casinos and online Swedish gambling sites – a new Gambling Act was passed in June 2018 and went into effect on Jan 1, 2019. Officials hope these new regulations reduce the use of unlicensed online operators, keeping more of the profits at home and taxable.

All Swedish casinos are owned by Casino Cosmopol, a state-run monopoly. The casinos offer a wide variety of gambling options, from the classic casino games, such as Roulette, Blackjack, Texas Holdem Poker and slots, to Punto Banco / Baccarat, and Sic Bo. The stability of problem gambling in Sweden at the population level suggests a homeostatic system involving the gambling market, regulation, prevention and treatment and adaption to risk and harm. Gambling Laws in Sweden. Gambling in Sweden is considered to be legal in all of its terrestrial as well as online forms. The Swedish Gambling Act together with its various amendments is the main source of the Swedish gambling regulations.The body responsible for ensuring that the Swedish gaming and gambling market is legal, safe and reliable is the Swedish Gambling.

We’ll analyze Sweden’s new laws in later sections, but it’s important to highlight that while these regulations may incentivize the use of locally licensed Swedish gambling sites, they do not criminalize the use of offshore options. Instead, the new rules mostly focus on gambling website operators and banking institutions, who they hope will block transactions to foreign domains.

This means you’ll still be able to turn to Swedish gambling sites which are licensed in other jurisdictions to find any markets unavailable within the country. However, doing so requires taking some calculated risks. Offshore sites offer far fewer consumer protections to gamblers, meaning you must make intelligent decisions concerning which foreign website(s) to use.

Why Are These Sites Recommended?

Our team of gaming experts has determined the Swedish gambling sites included in our list of recommendations to be the very best. We carefully research and review every potential recommendation based on a range of metrics which give us excellent insight into the quality of these operations. Thus, we can guarantee a top-notch gaming experience to all of the readers who use our lists.

We won’t bother you with every single variable and detail that goes into our comprehensive review process, but there are some specific qualities that all of our recommend share. Our team can confidently promise that any Swedish gambling sites found at LegitGamblingSites.com will always meet the following basic standards.

Legitimacy, Reliability, and Safety

When reviewing gambling sites in Sweden (or any other jurisdiction), there is no aspect more significant than legitimacy. Ensuring that all of our recommended Swedish gambling sites are safe and secure is our highest priority because the offshore gaming industry is plagued by scammers and unethical operators hoping to profit off novice gamblers’ lack of experience and knowledge.

Web-based gambling generates tens of billions of dollars per year in revenue, which attracts thieves and their very real-looking scam sites from every corner of the internet. Our team of experts is dedicated to identifying and blacklisting every rogue operation and selecting nothing but trustworthy online Swedish gambling websites to share with our readers.

Ease of Use

Sure, safety and reliability are the top priorities, but we also take numerous factors into account that merely affect the customer experience. For example, we study how easy a Swedish gambling site is to navigate, place bets on, and use with mobile devices.

Website design and navigation are particularly crucial for locations offering sports betting since there are time constraints caused by the odds coming off the board at the start of game time. Being able to locate and place a wager quickly will minimize – if not outright avoid – the frustration of missing your window to bet.

Friendly and Fair to Winners

Another focus of our efforts is ensuring that the Swedish gambling sites we approve are honest and fair in their treatment of winning gamblers. There’s a terrible trend in online gaming involving operators using outrageous claims and practices to cancel or reverse successful wagers.

We’ve seen website admins levy accusations of players cheating or being professional gamblers and then use these charges to rationalize voiding the bets. Our team works diligently to avoid sharing such domains. If you’re not allowed to be successful, what’s the point?

Valuable Bonuses and Loyalty Rewards

Lucrative deposit bonuses have become commonplace in the internet-based gambling industry. We even include them in our list of Swedish gambling site recommendations. Gaming providers gift new customers with free money early on, allowing novice players to test things out without dipping into their own bankroll. Lots of locations offer to match 100% or more of your first deposit, significantly increasing the size of your account before you ever place a single wager!

Loyalty rewards programs bring additional value to the table. After developing some fairly consistent gambling habits, your site will start awarding points and/or tiers that will determine the types of prizes available to you. These levels or point systems can be used to earn cash back to erase some of your losses or give you merchandise, free meals, gift cards, or anything else.

Is Gambling Legal in Sweden?

Yes, gambling is legal in Sweden, both at land-based locations and Swedish gambling sites. This includes casino games, sports betting, lotteries, bingo, poker, horse racing, slots, and other terminal-based machines.

The country’s central regulatory entity is the Swedish Gambling Authority. Responding to pressure both from local gaming operators and the EU Commission, Sweden passed a transformative new gambling law in late 2018, which went into effect in early 2019. This new set of regulations introduced six new licenses, set new limits on bonuses, enacted greater consumer protections, and ended the monopoly on online gambling.

While the old rules allowed Svenska Spel to be the sole licensed online operator, the monopoly caused friction with major players in the gambling industry, who believed it violated the EU treaty. Despite Sweden consistently receiving favorable rulings from the European Court of Justice, the government realized the statutes needed an upgrade.

Svenska Spel’s monopoly may have meant that there was only one online gaming operator with a Swedish license; there were no laws against citizens utilizing offshore gambling websites. As a result, the country saw significant sums of money crossing over its borders into jurisdictions like Malta, Cyprus, and Gibraltar.

These new regulations will allow private commercial operators to apply for Swedish licenses and lawfully service the nation’s residents. As a result of these legal pathways given to foreign site-owners, allowing them to offer action in Sweden, increased efforts are being made to prohibit unlicensed domains.

The Six New Types of License

• State-Owned/Monopolized License – Only state-owned providers like Svenska Spel are qualified for this permit that will regulate casino games, slots, and some lottery variations.
• Public Purpose License – This license is available to non-profit organizations exclusively and only allows for certain types of lotteries.
• Commercial Online Gaming License – This Swedish online gambling license allows private, commercial entities to legally offer casino games, slots, and bingo to Swedes online.
• Betting License – This license covers both offline and online sports betting in Sweden and is available to all commercial operators that meet the qualifications and apply for a permit.
• Commercial Land-Based Gaming License – Any qualified gaming corporation may apply for this license, which allows them to provide slot machines and card games in non-casino facilities like betting parlors.
• Cruise Ship Gaming License – Ships floating on international waters may apply for this license, giving them the right to operate casino games and slots onboard their vessels.

As for continuing to use offshore Swedish gambling websites in spite of the new statutes, it’s still possible for now but may become more challenging in the near future. Using unlicensed operators is not a criminal offense; however, several sections of the new bill address restrictions that Sweden is planning to impose on them.

While the individual gambler has nothing to worry about, the law plans to stop banking institutions from allowing transactions between Swedish citizens and illegal offshore gambling sites. It’s also possible that local internet service providers will eventually be tasked with blocking access to the unlicensed domains.

Sweden’s Primary Gaming Regulations

• Swedish Gambling Act (2018)
• Swedish Gambling Tax Act (2018)
• Gambling Ordinance (2018)
• Regulations on license applications (2018)
• Regulations and advice on responsible gambling (2018)
• Regulations on exceptions from registration requirements (2018)
• Regulations and advice on state lottery and lottery for good causes (2018)
• Regulations and advice on commercial gambling and betting (2018)
• Regulations and advice on land-based commercial gambling (2018)
• Regulations and advice on gambling on ships in international waters (2018)
• Regulations and advice on technical requirements and the accreditation of bodies to test, inspect, and certify gaming operations (2018)
• Swedish Money Laundering Act (2017)
• Swedish Gambling Authority’s regulations and advice on the prevention of money laundering and financing terrorism (2017)
• Swedish Act on Payment Services (2010)
• Swedish Marketing Law (2008)
• Swedish Distance and Doorstep Act (2005)
• Swedish Consumer Services Act (1985)

Sweden’s History with Gambling

Frequently Asked Questions

Is gambling legal in Sweden?

Yes, all forms of gambling are legal in Sweden. As of January 2019, there are six available licenses covering the full range of gaming activities for private commercial businesses, state-owned operators, non-profit organizations, and cruise ships.

What are the risks involved with using an unlicensed gambling website from within Sweden’s borders?

Besides the potential dangers of using an unvetted, unlicensed site, there are no legal risks involved with using offshore gambling sites in Sweden. However, following the implementation of the new Gambling Act and related licensing regime, the gaming authorities may explore blocking the unlicensed domains and barring banking institutions from processing transactions between account holders and illegal gambling sites.

How will the gambling markets be divided amongst state-owned and private operators?

Online casinos and sports betting will be open to both domestic and offshore private commercial businesses.

Land-based casinos and gaming machines will remain under the government monopoly.

Lotteries and bingo will belong to non-profit operators for the purposes of fundraising.

Does Sweden tax winnings from gambling?

Yes, the new Gambling Act applies a flat 18% tax on gross earnings for all licensed gaming activities.

What are the age requirements for gambling in Sweden?

One must be 18 years of age to play with licensed operators online and at least 21 to enter land-based establishments.

Who licenses the regulated and legal online gambling sites in Sweden?

The Swedish Gambling Authority is responsible for licensing and supervising all six of the country’s legal markets.

Can I access one EU country’s legal online gambling site from Sweden?

Yes. For years, Swedish gamblers have turned to site operators in Gibraltar, Cyprus, and Malta for gambling activities not provided by the monopoly. With the new Gambling Act in place, licensed foreign websites may eventually be blocked, but there are no punishments for citizens who choose to continue visiting offshore providers.

The current gaming laws in Sweden place all the power of
gambling in the hands of a state-owned monopoly. Things are
changing however, as the European Commission has put great
pressure on Sweden to open the country the industry to
competition from foreign operators. The threat of EU sanctions
has prompted Swedish lawmakers to get serious about making
changes to the current system.

As it stands right now, all gambling in Sweden is controlled
by Svenska Spel. This includes control over the brick-and-mortar
business as well as online gambling. The only legal and licensed
gaming site in Sweden is operated by Svenska Spel, but gamblers
are under no obligation to limit themselves to that one option.

Like many other nations, Sweden has strict laws for those in
the business of gambling, but not for players. It’s not a
criminal offense to gamble online in Sweden and many foreign
operators cater to the Swedish market.

Svenska Spel may have the benefit of a monopoly over online
gambling, but the company is also subject to burdensome
regulations that make it difficult to compete with foreign
providers. For example, online poker at Svenska Spel is limited
to Swedes, which greatly limits the player pool. Many gamblers
in Sweden prefer to visit unlicensed operators for larger player
pools, better sports betting odds, and greater casino game
selection.

These gaming sites may be unlicensed in Sweden, but they do
hold licenses in other reputable jurisdictions. They are located
in places where online gambling is legal and argue they have no
obligation to follow the laws of other nations, especially when
those laws violate EU trade agreements.

Gaming Legislation in Sweden

There are two major pieces of legislation that shape online
gambling today in Sweden. Here’s a quick look at each.

The 1994 Lotteries Act

The Lotteries Act regulates how lotteries, guessing games
for money, bingo, gaming machines, roulette, dice games, and card
games may be run in Sweden. It gives full authority to the
Gaming Board of Sweden to issue licenses and ensure games are
run properly.

The act covers a full range of activities, but the biggest
impact it had was to keep all lottery-style games in full view
of the state. Lotteries and other games may only be offered by
non-profit charity groups and government approved operators such
as the national lottery and certain horse racing groups.

Gambling Laws In Sweden

In addition, the act makes it illegal to promote unlawful and
foreign lotteries. The stated goal of the Lotteries Act is to
ensure the games it regulates remain free from criminal activity
and do not harm the public welfare.

The 1999 Casinos Act

The Casinos Act was enacted in 1999 to further regulate
roulette games, dice games, card games, and “similar games
arranged on premises that are principally used for this
purpose.” Much of the legislation deals with land-based casinos.
It sets age limits, prohibitions on issuing credit to gamblers,
rules for keeping records, and a variety of other regulations
that pertain to running a gambling operation.

2002 Amendment

An amendment was added to the Lotteries Act in 2002 in order
to bring the legislation up to date with online gaming. The
amendment gave Svenska Spel the authority to host online games
and act as the sole licensed provider of internet betting in
Sweden.

Sweden vs. the EU

Gambling In Sweden

The European Union has long been on Sweden’s case for
breaking international trade agreements. The EU has stated
numerous times that the government monopoly on gambling is a
violation. Sweden has responded numerous times stating that it
has every intention for opening the market to foreign
competition and allowing operators to offer their services to
Swedes.

Things have become more serious in recent years as the EU has
threatened international sanctions on Sweden. This has prompted
the government to take the directives seriously and look into
opening the market to competition. The latest word we have is
that
Sweden plans to pass legislation by the end of 2014.

However, the Swedish government has a history of saying
“changes are imminent” without ever following through. Gambling
is very profitable for Sweden, and the government is reluctant to
open the industry to competition.

Legal Gambling In Sweden

We believe Sweden is likely to pass this legislation
eventually. Swedes face no penalties for playing at unlicensed
sites, so the market is effectively already open to competition.
Sweden could easily loosen regulations on its one licensed
operator to make it more competitive while simultaneously
allowing foreign operators to enter the market, pay licensing
fees, and pay taxes.