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Market Monitor Sweden : getting tougher all the time
Sweden : getting tougher all the time
● Criticism from many corners ● No need to panic ● Channelisation debate
● Diverging paths ● Changing dynamics
PART ONE
Sweden has gained attention this year for the position taken by its public health authorities on how to deal with Covid-19 and its relatively lax policy on lockdowns . But when it comes to the gambling sector , the Swedish regulator has taken the opposite tack and led the way in tightening restrictions and threatening an advertising crackdown .
The measures as proposed by the government – in particular the increasingly vocal and active gambling minister Ardalan Shekarabi – haven ’ t been without their controversies .
The across-the-board deposit limit of SEK5,000 (£ 430 /€ 482 ) threatened at the height of concerns over the impact of the virus in the spring gave way in the summer to limits only on online casino . It eventually came into force in July and the latest word from the regulator in early November was that the measures will remain in place well into next year , as will the SEK100 limit on one-time bonuses .
When it comes to sports betting , the only change so far related to the pandemic is that all betting on Swedish lower leagues – any football below division two – is now banned . The authorities have also banned betting on yellow and red cards , as well as the number of penalty kicks .
In announcing the proposed extension of the emergency measures , Shekarabi said : “ In the wake of the pandemic , we see continued risks in the field of gambling , which means that we need to act to reduce the risks for vulnerable consumers .”
Yet while the deposit limits are supposedly temporary , the damage done to the sector is arguably already apparent . “ The current situation with the pandemic is of course something out of the ordinary but the temporary regulation regarding limits on deposits and bonuses could be counterproductive measures ,” says Josef Rotter , associate with Nordic Gaming , who suggests there is an increasing divergence between how the industry believes the sector should be regulated and how the government believes it should .
“ In the event players move from licensed operators to unlicensed operators , the whole idea with the new regulation implemented in 2019 is at risk .”
Indeed , the likelihood is that iGB Market Monitor