Spelinspektionen Calls for Greater Powers to Combat Offshore Gambling in Sweden

The Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, has once again turned its focus to the country’s unregulated online gambling landscape, releasing a new report that examines the most prominent offshore operators and urges legal reform to allow more decisive intervention against illegal gaming activities.

As part of the report, Spelinspektionen conducted a survey targeting major unlicensed gambling entities operating in Sweden. The analysis explored how these offshore companies reach Swedish consumers and compared Sweden’s situation to regulatory approaches in other jurisdictions. According to the authority, the purpose of the survey was to support both the Swedish public and relevant government bodies in better understanding the threat posed by unauthorized gambling providers.

The report’s key conclusion was that the unlicensed online gambling market in Sweden remains not only sizable but also easily accessible to consumers. Spelinspektionen noted that it has developed several techniques to detect these illicit websites. However, the regulator emphasized that the majority of players in Sweden are not actively seeking out these platforms. “As of the time of this writing, the Spelinspektionen believes that the people actively seeking offshore websites represent fewer than 5% of the total number of players,” the report stated.

Despite this low proportion, Spelinspektionen expressed concern over its limited authority to curb illegal gambling activities. Under current legislation, the regulator can only act against unlicensed operators that actively target the Swedish market. The definition of such targeting includes online casinos that promote their services directly to Swedish customers or whose websites are specifically tailored to appeal to a Swedish audience.

Spelinspektionen argued that this legal limitation undermines its efforts to safeguard the national gambling market. The authority has now formally requested that lawmakers amend the Gambling Act to extend its scope. Specifically, Spelinspektionen is seeking the authority to block and take enforcement action against all unlicensed operators offering gambling services to Swedish residents—regardless of whether they are explicitly targeting the country.

“Because of that, the Spelinspektionen called for a change in the Gambling Act that would change how unlicensed operators are treated. The authority asked lawmakers to allow it to change the scope of the act’s application to prevent all unlicensed companies from offering gambling in the country,” the report said.

In line with this push, the Swedish government is currently evaluating whether to broaden the applicability of the Gambling Act. Camilla Rosenberg, the director general of Spelinspektionen, welcomed the ongoing investigation, reaffirming her agency’s commitment to protecting the domestic market. “She believes that the Spelinspektionen has a crucial task to protect the local gaming market from offshore influence by combating illegal gambling,” the report quoted. Rosenberg also emphasized that despite existing constraints, current regulatory actions have made a meaningful impact.

The investigation into the proposed expansion of the Gambling Act’s scope is scheduled to conclude by September 17.

Meanwhile, in a separate but related development, Sweden has made the decision to close its land-based casino sector. Following a vote in the Riksdag, all brick-and-mortar casino operations will be shut down. This move includes the closure of the last remaining state-owned Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm, officially ending Sweden’s era of physical casino gaming.

By fLEXI tEAM