SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Four of Sweden’s largest betting and gaming operators have announced the launch of a new informative site, Fakta om spel (Facts About Gambling), to provide an easily accessible way for consumers and industry figures to gather facts and statistics about the licensed market.
The four firms – Betsson, Kindred Group, LeoVegas and William Hill – will develop the website in cooperation with BOS, the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling.
Facts and figures provided on the website will include independent information about the gaming industry, updated statistics on taxes and marketing, information on different types of games, published research and reports as well as content surrounding duty of care.
“It is important that we have an open and free debate about the gaming market,” said Gustaf Hoffstedt, Secretary General of BOS. “By launching Fakta om spel, we hope to be able to contribute to a more fact-based debate and encourage increased collaboration within the gaming industry and with other important organisations.
“The idea is that the site is expanded over time and we would like to see more players support Fakta om spel.
“We know that increased knowledge contributes to a healthier, safer and fairer gaming market by highlighting the benefits of a licensed market, but also pointing out the important challenges that the industry, authorities, politicians and suppliers need to focus on together.”
BOS has noted that ‘knowledge of the Swedish gaming market is generally low’ and identifying ‘misconceptions’ about the sector, such as how it is regulated, what requirements a licence entails and general market developments.
The market was first re-regulated in January 2019, and is now home to 100 licenced gambling companies, generating a joint revenue of almost SEK 15 billion and contributing around SEK 3 billion in gaming tax annually.
As with other regulated sectors, however, the market has been facing increasing pressure from political actors, with a number of recommendations made by the Swedish government’s ‘Gambling Market Inquiry’ in December 2020.
Proposed measures included a tightening of advertisement regulations, the implementation of a licensing regime for software developers, and for the deposit cap for slot machine limits of SEK5,00
Additionally, the industry has also faced both economic and political hurdles as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Sweden’s Constitutional Committee of the Riksdag criticising continuing temporary restrictions on the sector, comments welcomed by BOS.
