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Market Monitor Executive summary
Executive summary
WELCOME
A PANICKED RESPONSE IN SWEDEN
If the Swedish government ’ s response to the Covid-19 pandemic might be said to have been liberal , that certainly cannot be said of the same government ’ s attitude towards online gambling .
At the start of the crisis , gambling minister Ardalan Shekarabi was quick to propose measures to constrain the regulated gaming sector with deposit and bonus limits . These were due to expire at the end of the year , but the latest news is that they will now run until at least June next year .
The effect of the measures is already apparent going by the figures both from the ex-monopolies and the listed private operators . Recent figures from both suggest there was some evidence of a substitution between sports betting and online casino as sporting fixtures globally were cancelled and land-based gaming largely shuttered .
But as with the UK and other markets , any evidence of increased problem gambling is thin on the ground .
This has resulted in commentary that the politicians have panicked over their online gaming pandemic response , much to the detriment of the overarching channelisation aims of the regulated market .
More fuel was added to the fire when the regulator stepped in over the summer to say that the plans for a central system of monitoring player deposits would represent a huge step up in government oversight of consumer behaviour . As has been argued elsewhere , notably in Germany , any move along these lines will cut across various laws regarding privacy and data protection .
The evidence from late last year with regard to the increase in Google search terms by Swedes looking for unlicensed casinos or casinos without Spelpaus ( the Swedish selfexclusion scheme ) suggests the continued drift of players to the black market will only be increased by the extra measures .
But whether the authorities are listening is , as it stands , doubtful . And while the bigger names in the Swedish market continue in the regulated space , the evidence is stacking up that others are filling the gap in the unregulated sphere and benefiting from the notinsignificant move offshore .
LEVELLING OUT IN DENMARK
In gaming , as with the virus response , neighbouring Denmark appears to be following a different path to Sweden . A recent report from the Danish gambling regulator not only sheds light on how the Danish market is performing , but also has lessons for those looking at other jurisdictions .
The data from 2019 ( i . e . before the pandemic struck ) shows the iGB Market Monitor