Spelinspektionen (Swedish Gambling Authority) licence: what it covers and what it means for players

For players in Great BritainA Swedish licence does not allow an operator to offer gambling to people in Great Britain. Under the Gambling Act 2005 (s.33, read with s.36(3) and (3A) as amended by the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014), providing remote gambling facilities used in Great Britain without a Gambling Commission operating licence is an offence, and s.330 makes advertising unlicensed gambling an offence. Spelinspektionen itself notes that Swedish law applies only in Sweden; a Swedish licence covers gambling offered to the Swedish market. How to check a site.

Licence types

Commercial online gambling (casino games, online bingo and computer-simulated gaming machines) - Gambling Act ch. 7
Betting (online and land-based) - ch. 8
Land-based commercial gambling (e.g. land-based casino, card games, token gaming machines) - ch. 9
Gambling on vessels in international traffic - ch. 10
Lotteries for public-interest purposes - ch. 6
Games reserved for the state (state-owned operator) - ch. 5
Gambling software permit for B2B suppliers (in force 1 July 2023)

What players get

Spelpaus.se national self-exclusion register run by Spelinspektionen: excludes the player from all licensed gambling that requires registration, for a fixed period or indefinitely (an indefinite exclusion cannot be lifted before 12 months) (ch. 14 s.12)
Online casino operators must offer an immediate 24-hour self-exclusion (ch. 14 s.11)
Players must set a deposit limit for online gambling (ch. 14 s.7)
Player funds must be kept separate from the operator's own funds, and players must be told how their money is protected if the operator becomes insolvent (ch. 13 s.7)
Bonuses may only be offered on the first occasion a player gambles with an operator (ch. 14 s.9)
Ban on credit-financed gambling; since 1 May 2026 operators must also take active measures to prevent gambling being financed by credit (ch. 14 s.8)
Minimum age 18 (20 to enter state casinos); duty of care to monitor and counter excessive gambling; mandatory self-test tool
Gambling systems, RNGs and procedures must be certified by an accredited body; Spelinspektionen says certificates may be no older than 12 months and are renewed yearly
Licensees must have complaint-handling procedures; unresolved disputes with a Swedish-licensed operator can go to the National Board for Consumer Disputes (Allmänna reklamationsnämnden, ARN)
Winnings from Swedish-licensed operators are tax-free for the player; Spelinspektionen warns winnings from unlicensed sites may be taxable

How to check a licence

Search Spelinspektionen's licence register (https://www.spelinspektionen.se/licens-o-tillstand/licensregister/, English https://www.spelinspektionen.se/en/licence-and-permit/licence-and-permit-directory/), which lists all valid licence and permit holders with the web addresses of online and betting sites and is downloadable as Excel. Licensed online sites must show Spelinspektionen's logo plus three responsible-gambling logos (Spelpaus, Spelgränser, Självtest) in a locked field at the top of the page, each linking to the relevant tool.

Recent changes

2023-07-01: Gambling software permits for B2B suppliers became mandatory, and provisions on payment blocking and wider action against unlicensed gambling took effect (Acts 2022:1674 and 2023:309).
2024-06-01: Amendment (Act 2024:255) introduced written-confirmation rules for gambling contracts arising from operators' telephone sales and changed sanction rules.
2026-01-01: Amendments (Acts 2025:291 and 2025:767) revised provisions including the age-limit rule, deposit/loss limits for token machines, and information duties for party-political lotteries.
2026-05-01: Credit rules tightened (Act 2026:90): licensees and gambling agents must take appropriate measures to prevent gambling financed by credit.
2026-07-01: A further amendment to the Gambling Act (SFS 2026:1077) took effect.

Context

Spelinspektionen estimated the channelling rate into the licensed market at 86% for 2023, with commercial online gambling lower than other forms.

Its 2025 situation report notes that only about 6% of 2024 traffic from Sweden to unlicensed gambling sites went to sites it had issued injunctions against, because most such sites do not meet the law's targeting criterion.

Spelinspektionen says holding a Swedish licence is not a guarantee that an operator follows the rules; it relies on supervision, sanctions and, ultimately, licence revocation.

Spelinspektionen cannot investigate crimes itself; it reports suspected illegal gambling to police and prosecutors and can issue bans, with fines set by the courts.

Game providers that cite this regulator

1x2 Gaming, 4ThePlayer, AvatarUX, Endorphina, Gamomat, Habanero, Hacksaw Gaming, Hölle Games, Iron Dog Studio, Jelly Entertainment, Leander Games, Octoplay, Pariplay, Skywind, Synot Games.

From the licences each provider lists on its own site. Supplying games (B2B) is different from running a casino (B2C).

Not yet verified

Content of the 1 July 2026 amendment (SFS 2026:1077); the translation shows it touched Chapter 4 (licensing requirements) but its purpose was not confirmed
Precise content of the 1 January 2026 age-limit change (Act 2025:291)
2024-2026 tax changes (a rise from 18% to 22% in July 2024 is widely reported) - not confirmed from a primary source
Channelling estimates for 2024 or later; Spelinspektionen's news archive is script-loaded and could not be read
'Established' is given as 2019, the start of the current licensing regime; the authority itself predates it under another name

We could not confirm these from a primary source, so we have not stated them as fact.