Gambling Laws in Sweden

Legend has it that gambling in Sweden dates back to the Vikings when disputes between the Swedish and Norwegians were settled using dice! Today, the legal situation regarding gambling in Sweden is well-defined and largely positive.

Which Gambling Activities Are Legal in Sweden?

Sweden is known for having a permissive view regarding gambling, although definitive legislation only came into force in 2019. The Swedish Gambling Act was enacted and applies to any activity for money or anything of monetary value. The legislation is designed as a framework and acts as a prohibitory law, which means that any activity not explicitly specified is prohibited.

Gambling laws in Sweden state that companies wishing to offer various services to residents must be licensed. The Swedish Gambling Authority - Spelinspektionen, is the regulatory body that controls and regulates both offline and online gambling. 

Those operators without a licence are prohibited from offering gambling services in Sweden, and any marketing is also not permitted.

Playing in Land-Based and Online Casinos

Several land-based casinos are located throughout the country, with the age of entry being 20. Games on offer include slots, baccarat, roulette, poker, blackjack and more.

There are plenty of Swedish casino sites online that are legally permitted to offer their services to residents. These can be completely home-grown, created, developed, hosted and offered in Sweden. Or owned by those outside but legal representatives and servers need to be based in the country. This gives residents safe and legal access to some of the biggest casinos in the world.

Poker Gambling

Poker is a popular pastime in Sweden and there are several locations for players to participate in cash games. Poker rooms can be found in large Swedish casinos in Stockholm, Malmo and Sundsvall. Each establishment requires a licence from the Swedish Gambling Authority to offer services.

Many licensed online casinos offer poker to varying degrees, with numerous tournaments being available too.

Betting on Bingo

This comes in two main forms: games played for charitable purposes and games offered by land-based venues or online casinos. In both cases, operators must have a licence to offer services to residents.

Unlike other countries, bingo is not popular with the older generation. The trend is for younger adults to play via drive-ins rather than bingo halls or online gambling sites. The game is also popularly played on Christmas Eve.

Taking Part in the Lottery

Land-based and online lotteries exist, with the Swedish Gambling Authority regulating each. There are only a small number of games though, the most popular of which is the Lotto.

Residents can take part in a Swedish Postcode Lottery, whose excess profits are donated to charities. Online lottery games for real money are available via land-based operators' websites.

Social Gambling and Online Crypto Casinos

Social and skill games generally fall outside the scope of the Swedish Gambling Act and are thus not subject to regulatory licensing. This is because nothing of monetary value is available to win.

Cryptocurrencies are hugely popular in Sweden though are yet to be classed as legal tender. This also ensures that online crypto gambling sites are not available to residents. Many offshore sites still offer their services in the country though it's highly illegal.

Sweden: Is Sports Betting Legal?

Yes and whether offline or online, operators are required to obtain a licence from the Swedish Gambling Authority.

Betting on sports such as football and horse racing is popular and there are numerous shops where punters can legally place bets. However, this must be done by a manned cashier and not at automatic terminals.

Due to ongoing issues with match-fixing, further legislation was introduced restricting certain sports betting forms. Spread betting is not permitted in Sweden. It's also worth noting that fantasy sports betting, eSports and virtual sports betting are also legal to take part in.

What's the Minimum Age to Gamble in Sweden?

Sweden's laws dictate that players must be 18 to participate in gambling activities. In addition, you must be at least 20 years old to enter gambling venues.

Swedish Gambling Tax Regulations

Operators must pay 18% of their gross gambling revenue on a monthly basis. Various licensing and regulatory fees also apply, with different amounts depending on the activity offered.

History of Gambling Laws in Sweden

Regulated gambling dates back to 1897 when the state lottery Penninglotteriet was launched. Horse race betting was legalised in 1923, sports pools in 1934 and Lotto in 1979.

Land-based gambling was legalised in 1994, but online gambling took a slightly different route. For almost 20 years only two state-owned companies were permitted to provide this to residents. This resulted in Swedes joining numerous unlicensed sites for a wider range of betting options.

The legislation was quickly adopted to rectify the situation in the form of the Swedish Gambling Act. This came into force in 2019 and effectively broke the monopoly and opened up the market to private companies.

Key Facts

Generally speaking, all forms of gambling are legal as long as the Swedish Gambling Authority licenses operators. There are only a few exceptions, namely, spread betting and gambling on events deemed offensive, inappropriate or in which most participants are under 18.

It's also important to be aware that gambling sites can only offer exclusive online casino bonuses the first time a player accesses games - so choose wisely.