Sweden now demands clearer RG plans from operators

The Swedish government has implemented a new set of rules for responsible gambling that will now see the national gambling regulator, the Spelinspektionen, demand from licensed operators to make changes to their responsible gambling plans and how they address issues with consumer protections.

New rules seeking to strengthen Sweden’s responsible gambling practices

The Spelinspektionen will be at liberty to set mandatory requirements that must be met, as the country continues to tackle problem gambling, and concerns about low channelization rates into the regulated market continue to harrow the industry.

Essentially, the move is designed to slash the rates of harmful gambling practices, putting the onus on operators, and expecting them to meet a high standard of care across the board. An estimated 4% of the Swedish population is experiencing problem gambling, and 130,000 people share a household with a person who has an unhealthy relationship with gambling.

The new law will be implemented on October 1, 2024, and it will see Spelinspektionen flesh new requirements as it reviews individual action plans and issues binding recommendations on a per-operator basis, possibly tinkering with market-wide requirements as well.

What the government and the regulator expect to achieve is "order in the gambling market" in the words of Niklas Wykman, Minister of Financial Markets.

The government insists that gambling operators in the country have a duty of care and should be seen as proactively discouraging excessive gambling in the country and protecting consumers. An action plan should help achieve just that, setting high standards for the industry.

As a result, Spelinspektionen will have an even bigger say in how the regulated market acts to protect vulnerable consumers and shield them from the negative aspects of gambling, the minister added.

Building a safer future for players in Sweden with tighter RG practices

For its part, Spelinspektionen has noted that operators would have to be unambiguous in their action plans.

"It is desirable that all license holders clearly describe in their action plans their guidelines for gambling responsibility and how these are to be implemented," a translated statement from the operator reads.

Ultimately, lawmakers and regulators hope that Swedish consumers will be better protected. However, for many within the industry, the government’s short-sightedness in over-regulating the sector and not doing enough to curb offshore gambling rankles.

In the meantime, Sweden is also pushing in on another front, with Spelinspektionen voting in favor of a credit card ban that will be implemented on April 1, 2025.

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