Gambling legislation in Sweden is considered to be a monopoly regime that closes the industry to private providers of such services and activities. In Sweden, you can also play online casinos without a license.
The two largest lotteries in the country, Svenska Penninglotteriet and Tipstjanst, merged in 1997 to form a larger company. The name of the new organization was changed to AB Svenska Spel in April 1997. Until January 2019, the state-owned company had a complete monopoly on online gambling in Sweden, along with the Swedish horse racing organization Aktiebolaget Trav och Galopp (ATG).
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This essentially meant that in addition to casinos, poker games and slot machines, lotteries and sports betting in Sweden were under the control of large local companies.
Through its subsidiary, Cosmopol Casino Svenska Spel operates four land-based casinos in the European country including Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Sundsvall.
Casinos run by a government monopoly offer a variety of gambling options, from classic casino games such as slots, blackjack, roulette and Texas Hold'em poker to Punto Banco/Baccarat and Sic Bo.
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The monopoly imposed on all types of gambling operations in the country has drawn sharp criticism from the European Union and its member states. Previous attempts by foreign operators to gain a foothold in the Swedish gambling market, which is considered quite lucrative, were unsuccessful until the Svenska Spel monopoly ended in January 2019 and the market opened up to operators who found fruitful profit opportunities.
Relevant legislation and legal framework
Although Sweden is under a monopoly, Swedish law and jurisprudence respect the right of the European Union to offer services related to movement or activities across the borders of several countries. Essentially, this means that local authorities cannot prevent remote operators from doing so. That is why online gambling is currently flourishing in the country.
On the other hand, land-based casinos and gambling are still subject to monopoly national legislation. As mentioned above, the market is reserved for several government and non-profit organizations.
Gambling legislation in Sweden Swedish laws do not allow commercial companies to operate in the gambling market, except for small restaurant casinos and entertainment games or goods that have almost no value from an economic point of view.
Casino games
There are two legal categories of casino gambling in Sweden called "international casinos" and "casino restaurants" respectively.
International casinos within the country are under the supervision and control of the Casino Law. Such casinos generally operate in accordance with well-known international casino rules, which provide for higher stakes and larger prizes. According to the provisions of the Casino Law, the number of such casinos in Sweden is reduced to six. In addition, state-owned companies are subordinate to them, and their licenses are issued by the Swedish government.
Today, there are four international casinos in the country. They are located in Stockholm, Sundsvall, Gothenburg and Malmö. All of them are managed by one of the subsidiaries of Svenska Spel AB – Casino Cospomol AB.
On the other hand, so-called casino restaurants offer card games as well as roulette and dice as part of social entertainment. They are regulated by the Lottery Law, more specifically sections 32 and 33. A license to operate this kind of casino is absolutely required. Such a license is currently issued by the Swedish Gambling Board. According to some reports, today there are about 600 such casinos in the country.
The two main legal acts governing gambling in Sweden are the Lotteries Act 1994 and the Casino Act 1999. Both are issued to ensure that all types of gambling operations are under the control of the country and its special authorities. .
One of the main organizations authorized to issue market licenses and control the gambling industry in the country is the Swedish Gambling Board. The Council has the authority to issue licenses for various types of lotteries, as well as roulette, card and dice games, and slot machines covered by the Lotteries Act. It is also the organization that enforces the two main gambling laws.
Slot and other slot machines
The regulation here is provided by the Lottery Law, which distinguishes between different types of slot machines.
Notably, men and women gamble differently: read more on this topic here!