Sweden sets temporary limits upsetting both operators and regulator!

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden’s government approved a set of temporary restrictions to limit gamblers’ possible exposure to harm.  Health and Social Affairs Minister Ardalan Shekarabi proposed in late April a SEK5,000 (£400) as a maximum weekly deposit and a SEK100 (£8) cap on bonus offers and they were approved.

Players will also be required to set time limits as to how long they play online casino games and slots with licensed operators in Sweden.

The new measures will come into effect from 2 July and remain in place until the end of 2020, with the restrictions to apply to online casino games and slots.

“As a result of the current pandemic, we see a mix of circumstances that together create great risks in the gaming sector,” social security minister Ardalan Shekarabi said. “These need to be counteracted. With these measures, the government will strengthen the protection of Swedish consumers.”

In addition, the government approved SEK500,000 in funding for the Public Health Authority (Folkhälsomyndigheten) to carry out further studies into problem gambling during the pandemic.The organisation will be required to report its findings to the Ministry of Social Affairs by the end of February 2021.

“We need in-depth knowledge of how problem gambling is affected by the corona pandemic,” social minister Lena Hallengren said. “This is important for preventing gambling addiction in the future.”

However, despite these amendments, Swedish gambling operator association Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (BOS) last week urged the government to drop the measures, saying that the most recent set of changes would seriously harm the market and its licensees by pushing players to unlicensed providers.

Sweden’s gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has also been critical of the plans, this week warning that amendments to the rules may make them even more difficult to implement by 2 July.