Unlicensed gambling in Sweden continues to attract a small but active group of players, according to a new report from Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority. While these sites only serve a fraction of the total gambling population—likely under 5%—they remain easily accessible and continue to operate outside of the country’s licensing system.
Spelinspektionen has mapped out how unlicensed operators reach Swedish players. Some use targeted advertising, while others design their websites to appeal specifically to a Swedish audience. These tactics help them avoid detection while still tapping into the local market.
Under current rules, Swedish regulators can only act against gambling websites that clearly target users in Sweden. That includes using the Swedish language, referencing local payment methods, or advertising directly to Swedish consumers. Sites that don’t check those boxes remain out of reach for legal enforcement.
Camilla Rosenberg, Director General of Spelinspektionen, noted that despite these legal limits, their enforcement efforts still matter. “We welcome the ongoing investigation into the expanded scope of application, which is to be reported no later than 17 September this year,” Rosenberg said. “Despite the problems with the current scope of application, we believe that our interventions, where possible, are important and have an effect. It is therefore important that we continue our work to combat illegal gambling even during the ongoing investigation of the regulations.”
Sweden’s current laws have left gaps in oversight, but that may change soon. A pending legal review is exploring ways to expand Spelinspektionen’s reach, potentially giving the agency more power to act against operators that serve Swedish users without a license—even if they don’t explicitly market themselves that way.
In the meantime, the authority says it will keep monitoring the situation and take action wherever legally possible to reduce the presence of unlicensed gambling in the country.
The post Few Swedes Use Unlicensed Sites But Risks Remain appeared first on iGaming.org.