Sweden opposes initiative to tighten gambling advertising regulation

Sweden refuses to tighten gambling advertising rules

The leading organization of online gambling industry in Sweden has rejected the government's proposal to tighten the gambling industry's advertising regulations. For example, Swedish gambling trade association Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (BOS) has called for the country's Finance Ministry to reject the initiative.

If successful, the proposal would lead to gambling advertising in Sweden being reclassified and moving from regulation "based on a moderation requirement" to a "special improvement". The news comes after Swedish regulator Spelinspektionen confirmed its support for the Finance Ministry's proposed amendments.

Gustav Hoffstedt, secretary general of the BOS, strongly warned the government against adopting the proposed change, stating, "This is another initiative by our authorities that plays directly into the hands of unlicensed companies in Sweden. The trump card of the legal operators has been the ability to sell themselves and thus direct consumers to a safe system where they have full protection."

This development follows a period of re-regulation in the country and a government investigation into the casinos without gamstop market regarding amendments to the 2018 national gambling law. If the industry's advertising does tighten its regulatory status, it will be forced to comply with significantly stricter measures.

"If the ability to advertise takes on tight boundaries, we will face serious problems in the legal gambling industry. It is important to note that Sweden loses up to 25% of its permitted online casino turnover every year due to various delays. That is why we are close to making the situation in this industry even worse. In the name of consumer protection, this proposal should be withdrawn," added Gustav Hoffstedt.