SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) has officially stopped influencers from promoting illegal gambling on Twitch.
A number of influencers were placed under supervision within an ongoing initiative to curb illegal gambling marketing – particularly content directed at Swedish audiences through digital platforms.
Marketing of gambling services to Swedish consumers is prohibited unless the operator holds a valid licence, as detailed in Sweden’s Gambling Act 2018. Twitch is of particular concern as it is a platform mainly used by younger audiences.
It is important to note that the SGA identified highlighted gambling amongst youths as a key focus area for regulatory oversight in its 2025 operational plan.
Now, the authority assures that those influencers who have been subject to supervision have completely ceased marketing illegal gambling.
It detailed in a statement: “The Swedish Gambling Authority’s operational plan for 2025 states that young people’s gambling and illegal gambling will be the focus of the authority’s supervision.
“The Swedish Gambling Authority will also continue to supervise influencers and other actors who conduct or promote illegal gambling under the Gambling Act.”
A global operation
The country’s clampdown on illegal activity of this kind falls in line with a growing number of jurisdictions overseas which are becoming stricter in terms of influencer marketing regulations in iGaming.
Similarly, in several regions, such as Brazil, YouTube introduced strict measures in March this year which now blocks user content that is related to illegal online gambling websites – though these policies are not isolated to Brazil, they do have a particular relevance to their developing market.
YouTube’s policy statement, as reported by SBC Noticias – BR, read: “Content that promises guaranteed returns may be removed, regardless of whether the online gambling site or app has been approved by Google.”
The UK is also closely monitoring influencer activity in the betting sector. For example, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) recently issued a warning to Stars Interactive, operator of PokerStars, over a “socially irresponsible” advert that featured social media stars.
Swedish market situation
As Sweden continues to closely monitor illegal activity in the sector, preliminary results for the country’s gambling market have recently revealed a slight drop in Q1 turnover compared to the previous corresponding quarter.
Interestingly, licensed operators saw a total of SEK 6.6bn (£512m) being staked in the three months ending March, representing a 0.9% drop from the SEK 6.7bn in Q1 2024.
Online betting and gaming led the turnover pack with a total volume of SEK 4.3bn. This is historically the segment which customers engage the most with, averaging more than SEK 4bn throughout 2024.
