Sweden adopts new market controls against illegal gambling

Swedish gambling stakeholders have been reminded of the new measures adopted to counter illegal gambling and match-fixing, which have come into force as of 1 July 2023.

Q1 saw the Riksdag (parliament) approve new amendments to the Gambling Act (2018) ordered by the Ministry of Finance to enhance Swedish gambling’s market safeguards against criminality and match-fixing.   

From 1 July, all gambling licensees are required to support Sweden’s Police Authority in their investigations into gambling-related crimes.

As such, licensees must supply essential information pertinent to these investigations, thereby fostering a culture of transparency and cooperation between the gambling industry and law enforcement authorities.

The revised Gambling Act will allow licensees to process a player’s personal data, provided it is necessary to assess and report potential infringements of sports regulations on match-fixing. The measure is aimed at bolstering integrity in sports, safeguarding it from the manipulation and exploitation that mar the spirit of fair play.

Further protections will see Sweden’s National Sports Confederation and affiliated sports associations permitted to process personal data when suspicions of match-fixing arise. These changes enable sports bodies to be more proactive in the fight against match-fixing and maintain the sanctity of their respective sports.

In addition, Gambling Inspectorate Spelinspektionen has been granted the authority to make anonymous test purchases of online gambling services. This measure, known as ‘mystery shopping’, enables the Authority to ensure that licensees comply with the Gambling Act’s license requirements and promotional prohibitions.

Finally, the government is now empowered to determine what payment mediation information service providers must disclose. The measure has been introduced to enable a more effective system for blocking payments directed towards unlicensed gambling activities, thereby clamping down on illegal operators in the digital sphere.

Approving new measures, Sweden’s new coalition government underlined its  “commitment to maintaining a gambling industry free from illicit activities, ensuring the integrity of the sports and the protection of its players.