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Legend has it that gambling in Sweden dates back to the Vikings when disputes between Sweden and Norway were settled using dice! Today, the legal situation regarding gambling in Sweden is well-defined and largely positive. Read our analysis of gambling laws in Sweden below.

Gambling regulations in sweden

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Sweden is known for being quite permissive regarding gambling, although definitive legislation regarding the activity only came into force in 2019. The Swedish Gambling Act was enacted on January 1, 2019, and applies to any gambling activity for money or anything of monetary value (e.g. tangible items such as those found at a fair). The legislation is designed as a framework and acts as a prohibitory law, which means that any activity not explicitly specified is prohibited.

Gambling laws in Sweden state that companies wishing to offer various gambling services to residents must be licensed. Generally speaking, the Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, is the licensing body that controls and regulates both offline and online gambling within the country.

Those without a licence are prohibited from offering gambling services to that resident in Sweden, and any marketing or advertising by such unlicensed operators is also not permitted. Let's look at how Sweden's gambling laws apply to various gambling activities.

Casino Games

Casino gaming of games such as Roulette, Blackjack and online casino slots is regulated by the Swedish Gambling Authority, with the body awarding licences to both online and land-based casino operators. As a result, several land-based casinos are located throughout the country, with the age of entry to such establishments being 20.

Many Swedish casino sites online are legally permitted to offer their services to country residents. These can be completely home-grown, created, developed, hosted and offered in Sweden or owned by those outside of Sweden but with legal representatives and servers in the country.

Poker

Poker is a fairly popular pastime in Sweden, offering several locations for players to participate in cash games. Poker rooms are in four of the country's land-based casinos in Stockholm, Malmo and Sundsvall, with each establishment requiring a licence from the Swedish Gambling Authority to offer such services legally.

Many licensed online casinos in Sweden offer poker gameplay to varying degrees, with unlicensed sites not permitted to do so. Casino-based and tournament/cash game-style online poker games are permitted within the country as long as the operator is properly licensed.

Bingo

Like many other countries, bingo in Sweden comes in two main forms: games played for charity or charitable purposes and games offered by land-based venues or online casinos. In both cases, operators must have a licence to offer bingo gaming services to residents, which the Swedish Gambling Authority issues.

Unlike other countries, however, bingo is not popular with the older generation. The trend is for younger generations to play via drive-ins rather than bingo halls or online gambling sites. The game is also popularly played on Christmas Eve.

Lotteries

Land-based and online lotteries exist in Sweden, with the Swedish Gambling Authority generally regulating each. Still, land-based lotteries may sometimes need the approval of the local municipality. There are a few lotteries in Sweden, the most popular of which is the Lotto, which consists of both the Lotto 1 main and an additional game called Lotto 2. The Swedish Lotto runs every Wednesday and Saturday and awards significant jackpot prizes.

There is also a Swedish Postcode Lottery, whose excess profits are donated to nonprofit organizations to create a better world. Online lottery games for real money are available via land-based operators' websites or other online lottery sites.

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Social and skill games generally fall outside the scope of the Swedish Gambling Act and are thus not subject to regulatory licensing requirements. However, this is because nothing of monetary value is available to win. This places skin gambling in the firing line as prohibited, aside from the fact that it generally involves those under the legal gambling age of 18. Players themselves are not targeted with legal repercussions, but operators providing a platform for the activity are subject to fines and possible jail time.

Sportsbet laws

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Sports betting is also a legal form of gambling in Sweden, with operators providing such sports betting services, whether offline or online, required to obtain a licence from the Swedish Gambling Authority. Betting on sports such as football and horse racing is popular within the country, and there are numerous offline betting shops where punters can legally place their bets. However, this must be done by a manned cashier, not automatic terminals. Regarding online sports betting, Swedes have various licensed online betting sites.

Due to ongoing issues with match-fixing, further legislation was introduced restricting certain sports betting forms. Spread betting is such an activity that is not permitted in Sweden. It's also worth noting that fantasy sports betting, esports betting and virtual sports betting are legally permitted in Sweden.

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Sweden's gambling laws dictate that players must be 18 to participate in gambling activities. In addition, you must be at least 20 years old to enter gambling venues within Sweden.

Tax Regulation

Regarding Sweden's gambling tax regulation, operators must pay 18% of gross gambling revenue monthly. Various licensing and regulatory fees apply, varying amounts depending on the gambling activity offered.

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Gambling in Sweden dates back to the time of the Vikings, where legend has it that disputes between Sweden and Norway were often settled using dice. Regulated gambling dates back to 1897 when the state lottery Penninglotteriet was launched. Horse racing betting was legalized in 1923, sports pools in 1934, and Lotto in 1979.

Land-based gambling was legalized in 1994, but online gambling took a slightly different route to regulation. For almost 20 years, only two state-owned companies were permitted to provide online betting services to country residents. This resulted in Swedes joining numerous unlicensed online betting sites for a wider range of betting options.

The legislation was quickly adopted to rectify the situation in the form of the Swedish Gambling Act, which came into force in 2019 and effectively broke the monopoly and opened up the market to private companies.

Key facts

Key Facts

Generally speaking, all forms of online gambling are legal in Sweden as long as the Swedish Gambling Authority licenses operators, Spelinspektionen. There are only a few exceptions, namely, spread betting and gambling on events deemed offensive, inappropriate or in which most participants are under 18. It's also important to be aware that online gambling sites can only offer exclusive online casino bonuses the first time a player accesses games, so choose wisely.

Robin Storm
Author & Casino Games Expert Robin Storm verified symbol
Always looking for the best and latest games that hit the market, Robin works hard to make gambling fun and worry-free for all players. His years of experience working in the industry allows him to research and write about all the online slots' do's and don'ts. So if you have any doubts about new slots and table games, Robin's articles will answer all your questions about RTP, Volatility, Themes, Gameplay and so much more. He is very passionate about being able to play casino games in a fun and safe environment and he is enthusiastic to share how to play the most popular games at your favourite online casinos and avoid all the hassle in his articles.
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