Sweden is country found in the northern part of Europe and is part of the Scandinavian countries. The capital is Stockholm. It is known that this country has a long tradition of gambling and a properly organized gambling sector. This article is devoted to the specifics of Sweden bookmakers and sports betting, their legal framework, regulatory authorities, types of licenses, and a timeline of events. This report is written in a formal manner to give helpful information to whoever is looking to venture into the Swedish gambling business.
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Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
Swedish Legal Framework of Gambling
Currently, Sweden gambling laws are not very strict and have been changing over the course of time to make the betting industry secure. The regulation of the Swedish gambling market is done by the Swedish Gambling Authority also known as Spelinspektionen which enforces the Gambling Act and other related laws.
The Evolution of Laws Related to Bookmakers Concerning Gambling Activities
- 1994 Lotteries Act: Stated that lotteries are a form of games of chance, and only allowed the organizations such as non-profit, horse race companies, and the Swedish Lotto to undertake the lotteries. It also set up the Swedish Gambling Authority as the entity that would be in charge of issuing permits for legal gambling.
- 1999 Casinos Act: Put in place the requirement for licenses for the provision of casino games, outlined measures to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing and restricted the number of land based casinos to six in Sweden.
- The 2002 Amendment: Approximately 46 million Swedes were permitted to partake in online gambling through the non-profits, Svenska Spel, and ATG with the distribution of their gaming forms. This amendment further regulated the scope of the state’s lottery, as well as the operation of casino games via the Internet and betting.
- 1 January 2019: The year 2007 could be marked as the beginning of the new regulation of the Swedish gambling market with the new Gambling Act which addressed the current problems and opened the way for further changes.
- 1 July 2023: Extended the list of compulsory B2B licenses to include all participants of the gambling software creation process to increase the control.
Regulatory of Sweden Bookmakers
The Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) is the primary body responsible for:
- Granting gambling licenses
- They also have to abide by the Gambling Act, the Gambling Ordinance and other stipulations provided in the SGA regulations
- Reducing illegal gambling operations
- National lottery administration under the Lotteries Act and the Casinos Act
Other notable agencies include:
- Swedish Consumer Agency: Supervises the marketing of gambling services.
- Swedish Tax Agency: This entails the assessment of taxes that are relating to gambling operators.
Prohibited and Allowed Bets
Sweden has stringent regulations regarding the types of bets allowed:
- Allowed Bets: It comprises casino gaming- slots and tables, poker, bingo, betting on sports, horses, and fantasy, and lotteries.
- Prohibited Bets: Ways on betting for rules violations in particular sporting events like football and the yellow and red cards. It is also forbidden to place bets on individual results of the players who are below the age of 18 years.
Kinds of Licenses and Costs
Sweden has different types of gambling licenses with different conditions and charges to be met. These are normally for a five year period but may be granted for a shorter duration if circumstances warrant it.
State-Owned Entities
Licenses may be granted to provide:
- Casino games at casinos
- Games on slot machines
- Certain lotteries
- Online bingo
- Computer-simulated gambling machines
- Local pool betting
- Some of the categories of gambling machines include cash and goods machines.
Non-Profit Entities
Licenses may be granted for:Licenses may be granted for:
- Land-based bingo
- Certain lotteries
- Pool betting in horse racing venues.
Commercial Operators
Licenses are available for:
- Online Gambling: It comprises of online casinos, online bingo, and computer generated gambling machines.
- Land-Based and Online Betting: Includes sports betting, betting on future events and outcomes of lottery (with the consent of the provider).
Taxation and Fees of Sweden Bookmakers
Sweden’s gambling tax rates vary based on the type of gambling activity:
- General Gambling Tax: 18% of gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the Private for Profit companies.
- Non-Profit Gambling: For the activities that are organized for the public interest purposes there is 0% tax.
- Corporate Tax: 20. 6% and gambling activities are zero-rated for VAT.
- Player Winnings: Tax free with the condition that it is from the domestic licensed establishments; in case of foreign unlicensed sites, it is subject to a capital gains tax of 30%.
Sports Betting in Sweden
Sweden’s sports betting industry is well developed with special focus on football. Some famous football stars, for instance, Zlatan Ibrahimović are from the country, and the country has been a host to international events.
Sporting Event Glory Milestones
- 1958 FIFA World Cup: Swedish for the host country.
- 1992 European Football Championship: Yet another great event of Sweden to be held in the near future.
- Numerous Olympic Medals in Athletics: Such as gold medals in the events like javelin throw and high jump.
- America’s Cup Wins: Two times was in sailing.
- Tennis Achievements: It is the country that is five-time Davis Cup champions.
- Tennis Legend Björn Borg: Has eleven Grand Slam titles to his or her name.
Recent Developments
In 2020, SGA has started working with the Dutch Kansspelautoriteit for enhancing the supervisory authorities’ functions. New rules effective from 1 January 2021 include:
- Regulation of Esports betting
- Banning of bets on rule breaches and individual outputs of the players below 18 years of age
In May 2023, the Supreme Administrative Court considered the first case under the Swedish Gambling Act and established the approach to the sanction fees calculation depending on the gross gaming revenue (GGR) instead of the total stakes.
Conclusion
Swedish gambling market is relatively developed and open, regulated by the government, and opened for state-owned and commercial gambling operators. Thus, the comprehensive analysis of the legal environment and the consideration of the recent trends will help the stakeholders to seize the opportunities of this profitable market. To get more information and find out about gambling in Sweden, one can subscribe to Jasper and other similar reliable sources.
FAQ – Sweden Bookmakers
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