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Operating in Sweden: 22% tax, ad limits

RegulatedLicensed: online casino, sports betting, poker, lottery.Updated Research revised 4 Nov 2026 (Deep AI Scan of 163 official documents, first researched 9 Oct 2026).Framework 2019The year Sweden's current gambling law took effect; the rules on this page come from it and the changes made since.MatureAn established licensed market with a stable framework and many operators.
Checked by our research teamChecked

How this page was researched

  1. Quick AI overview

    A first AI summary of the rules.

  2. Deep AI Scan

    Every question of our regulatory checklist, answered from 163 official documents: the law, the regulator's own pages and its register.

  3. Checked by our research team

    Every figure traced to the document and sentence that states it. Revised 4 Nov 2026.

  4. Compliance reviewNext

    The full research report goes to our compliance team next.

  5. Expert review

    Dated here when a named expert has reviewed it.

Across every Sweden page: 14 official websites, 188 pages cited, 246 sourced data points. See the sources

Request the research reportHow we research
PlayersOperatorsGet licensed

Online gambling is legal in Sweden with a Spelinspektionen license

Gambling tax22%Year 1SEK 470,000Licence term5 yrsDecision deadlineNoneActive licensees80

Product by product

A licence from another EU or EEA state does not count: all gambling directed at Swedish consumers needs a licence from Spelinspektionen.
Online gambling products in Sweden: status, licence, tax and rules
ProductStatusLicensed byTaxKey restrictionAdvertising
Sports bettingLicensableSpelinspektionen, betting licence (8 kap.)22% of stakes minus payoutsFootball bets only on the four top Swedish tiers, clubs from the top four tiers abroad, the Swedish Cup and U21 to senior national teams; no bets on penalties, cards or sending-offsAllowed with moderation; nothing aimed at under-18s; minimum age and helpline details in every ad
Online casino (tables and live)LicensableSpelinspektionen, commercial online licence (7 kap.)22% of stakes minus payoutsOnly roulette, baccarat, punto banco, blackjack, poker and dice games; registered Swedish residents only; player-set deposit limit; one bonus on the first occasion; no credit gamblingAs for Sports betting
Online slotsLicensableSpelinspektionen, commercial online licence (7 kap.)22% of stakes minus payoutsOnline slots only under the commercial online licence; every round at least three seconds, autoplay included; no maximum stake or RTP cap onlineAs for Sports betting
Online pokerLicensableSpelinspektionen, commercial online licence (7 kap.)22% of stakes minus payoutsPoker sits in the casino game list; games in progress must be visible to logged-in players and staff must be on duty while poker is offeredAs for Sports betting
LotteryState monopolyAB Svenska Spel (state lottery licence, 5 kap.); non-profit lotteries (6 kap.)22% of stakes minus payouts; non-profit lotteries exemptCommercial operators may offer an online lottery only as a side game to a casino or betting licence. Workaround: none found beyond the unlicensed operators described under online casino—
Skin bettingBannedNone: no licence is issued—The authority treats it as gambling for money and has issued prohibitions. Workaround: sites target Swedes with Swedish-language pages and Swedish currency, are promoted by streamers and affiliates, and take payment in crypto or skinsPromoting unlicensed gambling for gain is an offence (fine or up to two years in prison)
Coming up1 Jan 2027Proposed start (not yet law)

Will Sweden widen its reach over offshore operators in 2027?

A government memorandum, Ds 2025:23, published on 24 September 2025, proposes to replace the test under which the Gambling Act applies only to gambling directed at the Swedish market. Under a participant test, online gambling would count as provided in Sweden if people in Sweden can take part. A company outside the Act would have to take effective measures to stop participation from Sweden. The ban on promoting unlicensed gambling would also widen to payment solutions. The proposed start is 1 January 2027, after an EU notification with a standstill of at least three months. No bill had been tabled on 9 October 2026, so it is not law.

Ds 2025:23 (government page) ↗Ds 2025:23 (memorandum, PDF) ↗

Regulator and player protection in Sweden

Regulator
Spelinspektionen
Application authority and enforcement body
Self-exclusion scheme
Spelpaus: Swedish National Self-Exclusion
How players exclude themselves; what it covers is in the player guide
Mandatory RG controls
deposit limits + reality checks
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer

Which casinos & betting sites are licensed in Sweden?

See the full official list of licensed operators and their authorised domains.

Licensed operators in Sweden →

Heads-up for operators

4 items · last change 27 Oct 2026

  1. Draft, not lawAdded 27 Oct 2026

    Remissvar på Fi2026/01654, EU:s penningtvättspaket

    This is a consultation response, not a new law or an immediate operator requirement. Operators should monitor any later legislation; the document gives no start date.

    Source: 1Not yet in our report

  2. Note

    The expanded ban on gambling with credit entered into force on 1 May 2026 for all licence holders and gambling agents. A departmental memorandum (Ds 2025:23, September 2025) proposes extending the Gambling Act from services directed at Sweden to any online gambling service people in Sweden can use, from 1 January 2027; no government bill on it is recorded.

  3. Proposed

    Participant test proposed for the Gambling Act

    Ds 2025:23, a government memorandum published on 24 September 2025, proposes that online gambling counts as provided in Sweden if people in Sweden can take part, replacing the ‘directed at the Swedish market’ test. It is not law: no bill had been tabled on 9 October 2026.

    Source: 2

Show all 4Show fewer
  1. Proposed

    Accessibility-Based Licence Obligation Proposed

    A government report proposed changing the Gambling Act's scope from operators 'directing' services at Sweden to any operator whose services are 'accessible' to Swedes, strengthening enforcement.

    Source: 3

Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.

Getting licensed: apply to Spelinspektionen

The licence, its cost and the steps are in the licence guide
6 licence types: Commercial online gambling licence (Kommersiellt online); Betting licence (Kommersiellt vadhållning); Gaming software permit (Spelprogramvara, B2B); and others. Year-1 budget SEK 710k. Fees, requirements, documents, certification and the step-by-step route are set out there.Read the licence guide

Gambling tax: 22% of GGR

Detail

22% gambling tax (spelskatt) on the balance of stakes received minus payouts in each calendar month, counted only on Swedish participation; raised from 18% on 1 July 2024. Non-profit gambling is exempt, except party-political lotteries from 1 January 2026.

Which foreign licences Sweden accepts

Sweden recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.

BlockedMalta (MGA)

Not recognised: a licence from another EU/EEA state does not give a Swedish licence, and all gambling directed at Swedish consumers needs a licence from Spelinspektionen. Spelinspektionen had (October 2020) a supervision agreement with Malta’s regulator, which lets a Swedish licensee keep its game system there. Card payments to unlicensed gambling (MCC 7995) are rejected by Swedish payment providers.

United Kingdom (UKGC)

Not recognised: all gambling directed at Swedish consumers needs a licence from Spelinspektionen. Spelinspektionen had (October 2020) a supervision agreement with the UK regulator, which lets a Swedish licensee keep its game system there.

Gibraltar (GRA)

Spelinspektionen had (October 2020) a supervision agreement with Gibraltar’s regulator, which lets a Swedish licensee keep its game system there.

Isle of Man (GSC) · Alderney (AGCC) · Kahnawake (KGC)

Not recognised: all gambling directed at Swedish consumers needs a licence from Spelinspektionen.

Curaçao

Not recognised. Spelinspektionen estimates that sites licensed in Curaçao and Anjouan drew about 45 per cent of traffic to unlicensed sites in 2024. It issues prohibition orders against operators directing games at Sweden, and Swedish payment providers must reject card payments to unlicensed gambling (MCC 7995). The Gambling Act gives it no power to block domains.

Anjouan (AGB)

Counted with Curaçao among the third-country licences behind about 45 per cent of traffic to unlicensed sites in 2024 (Spelinspektionen).

Bonus rules: welcome bonuses restricted

Inducement ads: Allowed

A licence holder may offer or give a bonus only on the first occasion a player plays any of its games, so one bonus per player per licence holder; free spins, VIP offers and loyalty programmes count as bonuses. Marketing must show moderation (måttfullhet) and must not be directed especially at under-18s.

What the player can claim
Welcome bonus
Restricted
VIP schemes
Banned
Loyalty schemes
Banned
Cashback
Banned

Operators are permitted to offer a bonus to a player only on the very first occasion they participate in a game with that specific licensee.

What the operator can advertise
Channels off-limits
  • Marketing must not be directed especially at under-18s; the Consumer Agency’s guidance says digital places mainly intended for children and young people, including social-media accounts and groups, are not permitted.
  • No direct marketing to self-excluded players.
Messages ads may not give
  • Suggesting gambling is a solution to social or economic problems such as unemployment, loneliness or boredom
  • Making the game appear risk-free
  • Claiming no stake is needed when one is required
Mandatory disclaimer
No set wording. Every commercial message must state the minimum age and, except on radio, the contact details of an organisation that gives information and support on gambling problems.
Placement rule
Bonus terms must be stated clearly when the offer is made and when it is used. The Consumer Agency’s guidance (not binding) puts all terms at most one click from the ad, with wagering, stake and time limits in the first ad.
Penalties

Sanction fee of at least SEK 5,000 and at most 10% of the licensed turnover of the previous financial year, after a remark or warning.

For a serious breach Spelinspektionen must revoke the licence or, if enough, give a warning.

All gambling marketing must show moderation (måttfullhet).

Recent advertising-violation cases
DateOperatorViolationPenaltySource
April 2026Polar LimitedTwo self-reported breaches of the first-occasion rule: six existing customers wrongly received a welcome bonus, and eleven Swedish customers claimed a bonus from a campaign meant for another market.RemarkSpelinspektionen decision, Polar Limited, 2026-04-29 (PDF)
May 2025Betsson Nordic Ltd, Snabbare Ltd and TSG Interactive PLCWeak customer due diligence under the anti-money-laundering rules.SEK 6.5 million, SEK 5.5 million and SEK 7 millionSpelinspektionen decision, TSG Interactive PLC, 2025-05-28 (PDF)

Sources4567

How Sweden enforces against unlicensed operators

Spelinspektionen supervises licensees directly and fines them for breaches of the duty of care and the anti-money-laundering rules: SEK 100,000,000 against Svenska Spel Sport & Casino AB in 2024 (annulled by the administrative court, appealed) and SEK 28,000,000 against Glitnor Services Limited in 2025 are the largest. Against unlicensed operators it issues prohibition orders and relies on payment blocking; it has no power to block domains.

  • 74 prohibition decisions against operators directing unlicensed games at Sweden, 2019 to 2026, the latest against stakes.com on 14 September 2026.
  • AML fines in May 2025: Spooniker SEK 10,000,000, TSG Interactive SEK 7,000,000, Betsson Nordic SEK 6,500,000 and Snabbare SEK 5,500,000.
  • Swedish payment providers must reject card payments to unlicensed gambling (MCC 7995) and can be fined SEK 5,000 to 10,000,000 for failing to.
  • Affiliates promoting unlicensed sites have been ordered to stop: Sinovum Media (SEK 600,000 penalty) and Flashback Media (SEK 130,000), both upheld by the administrative court on 3 March 2026 and appealed.

Sources849

Enforcement cases in Sweden: 6 recent

Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Sweden. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.

  • December 2025

    Flashback Media Group AB

    AdvertisingInjunction with a SEK 130,000 penalty

    Its website carried banners for unlicensed gambling sites, which is prohibited promotion of unlicensed gambling.

    Read-across: The administrative court dismissed the appeal on 3 March 2026; the company has appealed to the court of appeal.

    Source
  • May 2025

    Betsson Nordic Ltd

    AMLWarning and fine SEK 6,500,000

    Weak customer due diligence on high deposits, a breach of the anti-money-laundering rules.

    Read-across: The administrative court upheld the fine on 2 July 2026; Betsson has appealed to the court of appeal.

    Source
  • May 2025

    Spooniker Ltd

    AMLWarning and fine SEK 10,000,000

    Weak customer due diligence on high deposits, a breach of the anti-money-laundering rules.

    Read-across: The administrative court upheld the fine on 2 July 2026, and it is final.

    Source
  • May 2025

    TSG Interactive PLC

    AMLWarning and fine SEK 7,000,000

    Weak customer due diligence on high deposits, a breach of the anti-money-laundering rules.

    Read-across: The fine is final.

    Source
  • March 2025

    Glitnor Services Limited

    RGWarning and fine SEK 28,000,000

    Breaches of the duty of care (omsorgsplikt) towards players.

    Read-across: Glitnor has appealed.

    Source
  • March 2024

    Svenska Spel Sport & Casino AB

    RGWarning and fine SEK 100,000,000

    Breaches of the duty of care (omsorgsplikt) towards players.

    Read-across: The administrative court annulled the fine on 2 June 2025; Spelinspektionen appealed on 18 June 2025.

    Source

Licensed operators: 80

As of 2 Nov 2026, approximately 80 operators hold an active licence in Sweden. Size your entry against this base before committing capital. Check them yourself on the official Spelinspektionen register, which lists each licensee and its authorised domains.

Notable licensed operators

  • Svenska Spel

  • ATG

  • Betsson

  • Unibet

  • LeoVegas

Traps operators hit in Sweden

Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.

  • Treating moderation in marketing as a soft rule

    All gambling marketing must show moderation and must not be directed especially at under-18s (Gambling Act 15 kap. 1 §); a breach also counts as unfair marketing under the Marketing Act, with a market disruption fee of up to 4% of turnover for marketing to self-excluded players. The Consumer Agency’s guidance treats pop-ups and full-screen take-over ads as not moderate, and the Patent and Market Court held a full-screen take-over ad intrusive.

    Sources46

  • Missing a Spelpaus check

    At registration, at every login and before any direct marketing the licensee must check the national self-exclusion register and refuse a self-excluded player. Since 1 August 2026 SIFS 2026:3 sets how the checks run through the register’s API. A serious breach of the licence conditions can lead to revocation.

    Sources510

  • Offering a bonus after the first occasion

    A bonus may be offered or given only on the first occasion a player plays any of the licence holder’s games (14 kap. 9 §). Free spins, VIP offers, deposit bonuses and loyalty programmes count as bonuses (Linköping administrative court, 15 June 2020). Spelinspektionen gave Polar Limited a remark on 29 April 2026 for two self-reported breaches: six existing customers wrongly received a welcome bonus, and eleven Swedish customers claimed a bonus from a campaign meant for another market.

    Sources4711

Timeline: rules in force

  1. 28 Oct 2026

    Lufilight Ltd: prohibition on providing gambling

    Prohibition; status Decision; Illegal gambling.

    Source: 12

  2. 28 Oct 2026

    Lufilight Ltd is prohibited from targeting games at Sweden

    The Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) has issued a prohibition against Lufilight Ltd for offering gambling services in Sweden without the necessary license.

    Source: 13

  3. 9 Oct 2026

    Spelinspektionen återkallar Charm entertainment ABs licens

    Source: 14

  4. 8 Oct 2026

    Sportalliansen Sverige: Warning and penalty fee for deficient lottery tickets

    Warning; status Decision; Lottery.

    Source: 15

  5. 1 Oct 2026

    Charm entertainmnent AB: Licence revoked by interim decision

    Revocation; status Decision; Licence revoked.

    Source: 16

  6. 17 Sep 2026

    Polar Limited: Reprimand and penalty fee for change in the circle of persons

    Reprimand; status Closed; Change in the circle of persons.

    Source: 17

  7. 13 Aug 2026

    AB Svenska Spel: Reprimand for deficient lottery tickets

    Reprimand; status Closed; Lottery.

    Source: 18

  8. August 2026

    API rules for the Spelpaus register

    SIFS 2026:3, in force 1 August 2026, sets how licensees query the national self-exclusion register at registration, login and before direct marketing.

    Source: 10

  9. 18 Jun 2026

    SCGO Limited: Order to rectify, risk assessment

    Order; status Decision; Money laundering.

    Source: 19

  10. May 2026

    Ban on credit-financed gambling

    SFS 2026:90, in force 1 May 2026: licensees and agents may not allow or take part in gambling financed with credit.

    Source: 20

  11. 29 Apr 2026

    Norrköpings Bingoallians: Reprimand, deficiencies in information responsibility

    Reprimand; status Closed; Gambling responsibility, duty of care.

    Source: 21

  12. January 2026

    State casinos wound up

    SFS 2025:291 ended the state licence for casino games in a dedicated casino premises. Commercial restaurant-casino licences remain (land-based).

    Source: 22

  13. July 2024

    Gambling tax raised to 22%

    The gambling tax on stakes minus payouts rose from 18% to 22% on 1 July 2024.

    Source: 23

  14. July 2023

    Gaming software permit required

    Since 1 July 2023 anyone who makes, supplies, installs or changes game software for online casino or betting needs a permit from Spelinspektionen.

    Source: 24

  15. January 2019

    Licensed market opens

    The Gambling Act (2018:1138) came into force on 1 January 2019, opening online gambling and betting to licensed commercial operators under Spelinspektionen.

    Source: 4

Operator myths vs reality in Sweden

Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.

  • Myth
    An MGA or UKGC licence is enough to serve Swedish players.
    Reality

    False. A licence from another EU/EEA state does not give a Swedish licence; all gambling directed at Swedish consumers needs a licence from Spelinspektionen. Providing unlicensed gambling in Sweden is an offence (fine or up to two years in prison).

    Sources74

  • Myth
    We can offer a welcome package spread over the first three deposits.
    Reality

    False. A bonus may be offered or given only on the first occasion a player plays any of the licence holder’s games, so one bonus per player per licence holder, whatever the number of sites.

    Sources4

  • Myth
    We need a Swedish company, a local director and a local money-laundering officer.
    Reality

    No. No Swedish entity, office, bank account or local director is required, and no residence rule applies to the anti-money-laundering function. Only a licence holder with no residence or establishment in the EEA needs a natural-person representative resident in Sweden.

    Sources47

Markets that work like Sweden

Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.

  1. LithuaniaChecked
    SpainReviewed

    Online casino, betting, poker and lottery licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 20–30%; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly blocked.

  2. PortugalIn review

    Online casino, betting and poker licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 20–30%; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly blocked.

  3. EstoniaChecked
    CzechiaChecked

    Online casino, betting, poker and lottery licensed; licensed market; tax on GGR; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly blocked.

Methodology & sources

The research behind our Sweden coverage

Counted across every Sweden page, not this page alone.

compiled 4 Nov 2026

14
official websites
regulators, legislatures, courts
188
pages cited
specific documents, not homepages
246
sourced data points
each traced to the instrument

Across every Sweden page on this site: players, operators and the licence guide. The research report behind them cites official sources: the law, the regulator, the gazette, the courts and each platform’s own published advertising policy. Page sections not yet rewritten from the report may cite other sources.

The same research as a 85-page Sweden report: every one of the 201 checklist questions, each answer cited to the instrument behind it.

Request the Sweden report

Our Deep AI Scan took Sweden through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 163 official documents, read on 4 Nov 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is due to go to our compliance team. Where a fact rests on a press report or a law-firm summary rather than an official document, the page says so.

How we research

Documents cited on this page

  1. 1Remissvar på Fi2026/01654, EU:s penningtvättspaket
  2. 2Regeringen: Ds 2025:23 on the Gambling Act’s scope
  3. 3Source
  4. 4Spellag (2018:1138), Gambling Act
  5. 5Spelförordning (2018:1475), Gambling Ordinance
  6. 6Konsumentverket: KOVFS 2025:2, general advice on marketing of gambling (PDF)
  7. 7Spelinspektionen: questions and answers for operators
  8. 8Spelinspektionen: supervision decisions list
  9. 9Spelinspektionen decision, Svenska Spel Sport & Casino AB, 2024-03-25 (PDF)
  10. 10SIFS 2026:3, national self-exclusion register (PDF)
  11. 11Spelinspektionen decision, Polar Limited, 2026-04-29 (PDF)
  12. 12Source
  13. 13Source
  14. 14Source
  15. 15Source
  16. 16Source
  17. 17Source
  18. 18Source
  19. 19Source
  20. 20Regeringen: lagrådsremiss, a new ban on gambling on credit
  21. 21Source
  22. 22Prop. 2024/25:73, winding up the state casinos
  23. 23Lag (2018:1139) om skatt på spel, Gambling Tax Act
  24. 24Spelinspektionen: gaming software permit

The 10 documents this page relies on most

  1. Spellag (2018:1138), consolidated to SFS 2026:1077 (rkrattsbaser)Regulator
  2. SIFS 2022:3 Tekniska krav samt ackreditering av organ (PDF)Regulator
  3. Spelförordning (2018:1475), consolidated to SFS 2025:292 (rkrattsbaser)Regulator
  4. Spelinspektionen: Frågor & svar för aktörer (page)Regulator
  5. LIFS 2018:2 Lotteriinspektionens föreskrifter och allmänna råd om spelansvarRegulator
  6. Lag (2018:1139) om skatt på spel, consolidated to SFS 2025:768 (rkrattsbaser)Regulator
  7. LIFS 2018:5 Lotteriinspektionens föreskrifter och allmänna råd om kommersiellt onlinespel och vadhållning (PDF)Regulator
  8. Konsumentverkets allmänna råd om marknadsföring av spel till konsumenter, KOVFS 2025:2 (PDF)Regulator
  9. Spelinspektionen licence register Excel export, row counts by type and status, read 2026-10-09Regulator
  10. Spelinspektionen: Ansökan om licens, kommersiellt onlinespel och vadhållning (form, updated 2026-04-27, PDF)Regulator

Also cited on this page

163 documents in all. Request the full research report for every source, answer by answer.

Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Sweden (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Sweden player guide.
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Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 2 Nov 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Spelinspektionen. We are not a legal adviser.