Riksdag extends data privileges for gambling licences to detect criminal offences

The Riksdag has confirmed that changes will be applied to Sweden’s Gambling Act 2018 to allow licence holders to “process personal data related to legal offences”.

Changes were authorised on 28 November to “provide a right for licence holders” to process personal data relating to “legal violations under certain circumstances”.

The specific circumstances under which Gambling Act amendments will allow licence holders to process personal data related to legal violations include the detection of criminal activity, monitoring suspicious betting activities, preventing match-fixing, and enforcing legal compliance.

However, as detailed by accompanying documents to process the personal data of a customer, a licence holder must ensure that it has detected an illegal activity, such as cheating or fraud, on the specific account.

The changes will allow licence holders to monitor individual accounts for “unusual betting behaviours”, as a measure to help Swedish authorities police incidents of match-fixing and sports corruption.

In May, Sweden’s Conservative Coalition government approved new controls and procedures for Swedish authorities to combat criminal cases.

For sports, the government launched a new multi-authority data-sharing platform to combat match-fixing and sports corruption.

Further changes will provide licence holders with a legal framework to manage data effectively, improving regulatory oversight and supporting authorities in tackling illegal activities.

Policy documents noted that the Swedish government has stated that the “Gambling Act would likely serve as a legal obligation or legitimate interest for processing this data, as specified under GDPR Article 6“.

Under GDPR rules, operators must ensure that processing is limited to what is strictly necessary for the stated purposes, such as detecting fraud or ensuring compliance with regulations.

The Riksdag, during its consultation, received support for the government’s proposal from the Culture Committee, which noted that no motions opposing the amendment had been brought forward and that the Legislative Council had reviewed the proposal without comments.

The measures outlined in the proposed amendment to the Gambling Act are scheduled to be implemented on 1 February 2025.