iGB E-zines iGB e-zine Sweden | Page 5

Part 1: The new regulations Part 1: The new regulations Here we consider the new framework in detail and what its provisions will likely entail for operators and suppliers taking dot.se licences Grey not black Grey markets somewhat defy exact definition but they were – and still are to some extent – viewed as being largely European markets where although online gambling in certain forms wasn’t expressly legal, the authorities (sometimes under the threat of European Commission We had a Wild West situation develop around bonus systems in Sweden, and the politicians reacted to that Gustaf Hoffstedt, Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling censure) did very little to clamp down on operators targeting their citizens from offshore jurisdictions. Sweden was perhaps the m odel grey market. From the off, consumer enthusiasm for online gambling was evident in Sweden and some of the biggest names in today’s operator universe emanate from the country, including Kindred Group and Betsson. That fed through to the supply side and again companies with Swedish origins such as NetEnt and Evolution have thrived on the global stage. While not exactly turning a blind eye, the authorities certainly did little to disabuse players of the notion that it was OK to bet with these operators, while Svenska Spel even went so far as to join the poker revolution. The move towards a regulated space The long march towards a regulated market in Sweden has taken many years and was characterised by frustration on the part of the operators and a degree of bureaucratic obstruction (likely only partially deliberate) from both politicians and the authorities. Slowly, the shape of the coming regulated market began to form Sweden: The transition to regulation in one of Europe’s most advanced digital markets 5