SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
A new ‘Research Factory’ report commissioned by Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s gambling regulator, has informed readers that the Scandinavian nation’s gambling habits remain on par with its strengthened consumer protection goals.
The quantitative study was conducted in November 2023 and reflects on the previous 12 months, collecting data from a pool of 1,538 anonymous Swedish residents aged over 18 contacted by phone, of which 1,143 responded that they gamble online at least once every three months.
Diving further into the matter, statistics show that 75% of all participants have gambled in the 12 months preceding November, constituting a slight rise from previous periods.
Lotteries and number games seem to be the most popular form of gambling among Swedes, with 74% of all respondents having recently engaged with the pastime.
Additionally, a total of 41% have gambled in the week prior to being contacted to partake in the study (3% increase YoY), the majority of whom being aged over 50.
The differences between genders have also been revealed, with men who have gambled a week before the study being more than the women. This is also reflected in sports betting – with men holding the bigger share of the total number of bets placed.
Respondents have placed ‘fun’ as the top reason why they gamble, with win probability and the amount of possible bet being most important during play.
Further in the report, 47% of those who gamble regularly have stated that they think they’ve gambled away too much in the last 12 months preceding November – the majority of which are aged between 18 and 29.
There is however a good knowledge level among players (65%) of the available gambling harm prevention measures that Sweden offers, including the self-exclusion scheme Spelpaus.se, with only 4% of the respondents having taken advantage of it so far.
The survey’s majority (69%) says that licensed gambling operators in Sweden are doing enough about gambling harm reduction, which signifies an increase in people satisfied with the safety of the country’s gambling market compared to previous periods.
Another statistic of social importance is that 77% of all respondents are familiar with the Swedish Gambling Act which came into effect in January 2019.
The Swedish Riksdag (Parliament) is actually drafting new online gambling legislation changes later in April, in order to strengthen its consumer protection and AML measures in place.
Gambling companies are also preparing for potential changes to tax laws, with debates on bringing the income tax up from 18% to 22% also taking place this year.
