95% of Swedes don’t know how to check gaming licences

A survey by the national regulator shows players are in the dark over how to determine if an operator is licensed.

Sweden.- A new survey commissioned by the gaming regulator Spelinspektionen has found that only 5 per cent of players know how to check if a gambling operator has a licence.

The survey of 1,737 people, including 1,139 gamblers, found that 95 per cent did not know how to check whether the operator behind a product had a licence to operate in the country.

Only 2 per cent said they would check on an operator’s website to see if it was licensed; while 1 per cent said they would use Google and 1 per cent said they would check Spelinspektionen’s website.

They vast majority of respondents (80 per cent) claimed they had not bet via an unlicensed operator this year, but 17 per cent said they did not know whether they had or not.

Moreover, 67 per cent could not name an advantage of playing with licensed operators. Among those that could, 15 per cent named safety, while 4 per cent mentioned tax paid to the national coffers.

Meanwhile, 43 per cent of respondents were unaware of Sweden’s national self-exclusion tool, Spelpaus.

The survey also identified a growth in gambling over the past year, reversing a downward trend that began in 2013. The number of gamblers rose by six percentage points to 66 per cent.

The most popular form of gambling remains lotteries, accounting for 61 per cent. Horse racing account for 32 per cent and other sports betting for 22 per cent. 

As for the reasons for gambling, 62 per cent named fun and entertainment, and 30 per cent the hope for a big win. 

Svenska Spel remains by far the most popular online operator, chosen by 55 per cent of respondents, although that was own by eight percentage points since last year.

It was followed by AB Trav och Galopp (23 per cent, up six percentage points) and Bet365 and Unibet (just 4 per cent each).

Meanwhile, the Swedish online gambling trade association Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (BOS) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

They will collaborate on efforts to channelise gaming to licensed operators in Sweden amid the country’s online casino deposit limits, which are to be extended to mid-2021.