Sweden: online gambling firms complain to Minister

CEOs from 12 operators complain to the government about limits being placed on licensed operators.

Sweden.- A petition signed by CEOs of 12 online gambling firms has been sent to the Swedish Minister, Ardalan Shekarabi, complaining about the increasingly low “channelisation” of the Swedish online gambling market.

Online gambling companies, united by their trade association, BOS, all hold Swedish licences, and argue that 25 per cent of all revenue is lost to the unlicensed market.

According to the firms, this situation is a consequence of the measures taken by government to limit online gambling during the Covid-19 pandemic.

They added that further measures aimed at restricting licensed operators will only increase the flow of krona to unlicensed sites, and urged the Minister to change his strategy and protect licensed businesses.

“A high channelisation into the licensing system is necessary for a high costumer protection,” they argued.

The licensed operators contributed 3.6 billion Swedish krona  (€338million) in tax last year while the unlicensed industry contributing nothing.

Together the 12 companies involved in the petition represent around half of the Swedish online gambling market.