The Swedish Gambling Authority: objectives, functions, responsibilities and objects of supervision

The Swedish Gambling Authority is also known as the Spelinspektionen. It regulates and controls the Swedish gambling market. The Swedish Gambling Authority was set up under the new Swedish Gambling Act, which came into force at the beginning of 2019. It replaced the outdated Lotteries Act from 1994.

Objectives and functions of the Gambling Authority

The Swedish Gambling Act provides the legal framework for all lottery and gambling operators. It guarantees transparent working conditions for operators in the Swedish gambling industry and protects the interests of players. The Act sets out the requirements for operators wishing to obtain a Swedish licence.

This law has created conditions in the Swedish gambling market that allow national and international licensed lottery and gambling operators to compete fairly. Swedish players can find the right casino bonus for you, register there and start playing in peace and quiet.

The new law established the Spelinspektionen, which is the Swedish gambling authority. Previously, a similar function was performed by the state body Lotteriinspektionen.

The main objective of the Swedish Gambling Authority is to provide a legal, safe and controlled gambling market in Sweden.

The Swedish Gambling Authority fulfils the following functions:

● Regulates all aspects of the gambling and lottery industry in Sweden.

Supervises licensed land-based and online gambling and lottery operators.

Counteracts all illegal gambling activities within Sweden.

Provides the government with information on the gambling and lottery market so that legislators can make informed decisions for the sector.

Oversees the operation of the Gambling Pause service, which allows Swedish gamblers to voluntarily limit their participation in gambling activities.

Participation in the Gambling Pause service is mandatory for all licensed lottery and gambling operators operating in the Swedish gambling market. All operators have information on responsible gambling on their websites. It explains to users what responsible gambling means when playing sports and online casinos. There is also a selection of practical tips on how to organise responsible gambling to avoid gambling addiction.

Obligations of the Gambling Authority

In order for the Swedish Gambling Authority to fully ensure the legality and security of the Swedish gambling market and to control the activities of all operators, the Act stipulates the following tasks:

● Issue licences to non-terrestrial and online gambling and lottery operators. To obtain a licence, the operator must submit an application on the Swedish Gambling Authority's website, where they must provide detailed information about their company, responsible persons and intended games and lotteries.

Conduct ongoing monitoring of licensed operators to ensure that they comply with Swedish laws, regulations and rules.

To protect the interests and rights of players. The Gambling Authority addresses consumer concerns about gambling and the social harm it causes.

● Preventing illegal gambling and the activities of operators.

Ensure that licensed operators comply with industry standards. To this end, the law gave the Gambling Authority the power to impose fines on operators who violate laws, regulations and rules, and to revoke licences if necessary.

The Swedish Gambling Authority ensures the safety and security of the gambling market for land-based and online gambling and lottery operators. It is this governmental body that protects the rights and interests of Swedish players.

Opportunities for improvement of the Gambling Pause service

The Gambling Break service has been developed as a self-help tool for people suffering from gambling addiction. A gambler who has noticed that an addiction is developing can use the Gambling Break service to voluntarily stop gambling at online casinos.

Research has shown that the Gamble Break service has a number of shortcomings:

● Possibility of loopholes. Self-excluded players can gain access to foreign online casinos operating without a Swedish licence via affiliate sites.

Availability of unlicensed offshore casinos. Self-excluded players can play on such types of sites and they will continue to develop an addiction.

● Lack of flexibility. The service has been designed to be quite rigid. This means that players are suspended from gambling for long periods, and the possibilities for changes are very limited. Therefore, it is difficult to customise it to meet different people's recovery needs.

There is a lack of support for gamblers. The service focuses on excluding a person with a gambling addiction from gambling. It does not provide enough support resources to help people overcome their gambling addiction.

The Gambling Break service remains a valuable self-help tool for people who have started to develop a gambling addiction. The shortcomings described above are areas where it could be improved to provide gamblers with a more reliable tool to help them recover from their gambling addiction.

Conclusions

The new Swedish Gambling Act established the Swedish Gambling Authority. The Swedish Gambling Authority ensures the legality, safety and security of the Swedish gambling market, issues licences to lottery and gambling operators, and protects the interests of players. The Swedish Gambling Authority imposes fines on operators who violate Swedish laws, rules and regulations and can revoke a licence for serious violations. The Authority also oversees the work of the Gambling Break service, which allows people who have developed a gambling addiction to switch themselves off from gambling. The service helps the gambler to overcome their addiction.