Sweden to open licensing process on August 1
The Swedish government has decided to push back the opening of the licensing process to August 1.
Sweden.- Sweden’s government has decided to delay the opening of the licensing process that will allow gaming operators to apply for licenses. The initial date was set for July 1st, but a new legislation now establishes that the opening will take place on August 1st.
In mid-December 2017 the government of Sweden sent a copy of a draft gambling legislation to the European Commission for vetting. The three-month window gave member states the opportunity to comment of the draft and establish if it was in violation of EU treaties or not. The government introduced a secondary legislation to the European Commission, which details rules about licensing, cooperation, supervision, fees and responsible gambling.
While the other legislative piece gives the state control over lotteries, land-based casinos and gaming machines, the online sports betting sector, casino, bingo and other online products would be open to applicants that meet the required regulations. The licences would be valid for five years, and licensed operators would pay 18 per cent taxes on gaming revenue.
The piece submitted to the European Commission says that gaming operators interested in applying for a licence would need to pay US$47k, while if they want both online gambling and betting the fee increases to US$83k.
