Regulator provides panorama on unlicensed gambling promotion in Sweden
The new report raises concerns about influencer gambling promotion on social media.
Sweden.- The Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has warned that influencers continue to play a major role in promoting unlicensed online gambling to Swedish consumers. It says the practice is “particularly visible in environments popular with young people,” raising concerns over consumer protection and enforcement.
The regulator’s latest report outlines the platforms and strategies used by unlicensed operators. These include livestreaming sites, affiliate link networks, sponsorship deals and major social media platforms.
Investigators found that affiliate link farms redirecting search traffic to unlicensed casinos remain a primary channel. Many of domains operate briefly, serving thousands of Swedish IP addresses before disappearing and reappearing under new names. The regulator found that some landing pages use Swedish (.se) domains but redirect users to English‑language gambling sites, obscuring the operators’ jurisdictions while targeting Swedish players.
Online gambling promotion on social media platforms in Sweden
Livestreaming platforms such as Twitch and Kick were also highlighted. Influencers on these sites distributed affiliate links and promotional codes tied to unlicensed operators, often using giveaways, leaderboards and skin‑betting integrations, Spelinspektionen said. It suggested that streamers banned from Twitch under new, tougher rules were moving to Kick as an alternative.
While enforcement action has reduced large‑scale influencer promotions, the regulator said it had seen signs that some influencers had shifted to international audiences or other platforms.
Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, along with TikTok, Snapchat and X were identified as channels often used for spreading affiliate links, sponsored posts and undisclosed promotions. Semi-private groups on encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram and Discord were also highlighted as a medium that was complicating enforcement.
The regulator raised particular concern about English‑language comedy and influencer accounts that had recently begun producing Swedish‑language content, as well as deepfake ads featuring Swedish public figures designed to falsely legitimise promotions. Esports sponsorships were also flagged as a growing risk.
The regulator also noted banners for unlicensed casinos appearing on Swedish websites, sometimes hidden behind paywalls or timed releases. Programmatic advertising and AI‑driven tools were found to be in use in a bid to circumvent publisher blacklists. Spelinspektionen also noted that its tip-off line had received frequent reports of SMS campaigns targeting people who had self‑excluded from gambling via the Spelpaus service.
Spelinspektionen’s next steps
The regulator confirmed that new technical requirements for Spelpaus will take effect on August 1. These include marketing‑related checks, tighter verification and unique IDs for licence holders.
As for enforcement action, it said influencers will be a priority for enforcement due to their reach among younger audiences. Spelinspektionen noted positive results from several cases opened in 2025. More recently, in March 2026, one influencer received a 22‑month prison sentence for economic crimes tied to unlicensed online gambling promotion in what was the first known criminal conviction of its kind in Sweden.
Further ahead, the regulator said the proposed EU Digital Fairness Act (DFA) expected later this year may impose stricter rules on manipulative design and targeted advertising, including tighter restrictions on influencers.
