Sweden is poised to tighten its grip on unlicensed gambling. Just over a week ago, the Swedish government published a memorandum proposing a fundamental change to the Gambling Act (Spellagen), aimed at cracking down on platforms operating in a grey zone between the licensed and unlicensed market.
But the long-awaited update is unlikely to solve some of the market’s deeper-rooted struggles relating to the proliferation of illegal gambling.
The changes were proposed by the Ministry of Finance’s investigator, Marcus Isgren, who authored the report outlining amendments designed to strengthen the regulatory framework.
If enacted, the changes – scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027 – would represent the most significant reform of Sweden’s regulated gambling regime since its re‑regulation in 2019.
