Sweden re-regulated its gambling market on 1 January 2019 under the Gambling Act (Spellagen 2018:1138), moving from a state monopoly to a licensing system where domestic and foreign operators compete under licence from Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority. The design goal is channelling — pulling play onto licensed sites — paired with some of Europe's firmest player-protection duties. For content teams, three things define the work here: a legally binding duty of care that obliges operators to watch behaviour and intervene, a national self-exclusion register that locks a player out of every licensed site at once, and a strict one-time bonus rule. This page covers the regulator and legal framework, the key requirements, the helpline, self-exclusion, and advertising.
Test Playbook content against Sweden's rules in the live Coverage Map, and confirm the underlying requirements on the official regulator site, Spelinspektionen.
Two features set Sweden apart. First, a statutory duty of care (omsorgsplikt) requires operators to continuously monitor each player's behaviour and make contact when harm is identified or suspected — and to reach out to any player who sets a deposit limit above SEK 10,000 per month. Second, bonus offers are permitted only on the very first occasion a player plays with a licensee — no recurring reload bonuses, free bets, or loyalty incentives. As of 1 January 2026, state land-based casinos no longer exist; the regulated market is online gambling and betting.
Who regulates: Spelinspektionen
Spelinspektionen (the Swedish Gambling Authority) licenses operators, supervises the market, and enforces the rules. The framework sits across three layers: the Gambling Act (Spellagen 2018:1138), the Gambling Ordinance (2018:1475), and the authority's own regulations (the LIFS series). A separate consumer-protection layer — KOVFS 2025:2, issued by the Swedish Consumer Agency and in force since 1 September 2025 — turns the Act's "moderation" standard for marketing into concrete do's and don'ts.
The Gambling Act sets the duties; the Gambling Ordinance fills in the operating detail (deposit-limit timing, self-exclusion mechanics, bonus terms); the Spelinspektionen regulations add platform requirements such as the always-on helpline and risk information (LIFS 2018:5). Playbook content itself needs no licence — but the operator deploying it must hold a Swedish licence, and all game information must be available in Swedish.
Legal requirements and permitted products
Sweden runs a licensing model, not a monopoly: licensed commercial online casino and betting are open to operators that hold a Spelinspektionen licence. The floor is 18 for everything, and offering credit to players is banned. The most significant structural change is recent — state land-based casinos have been abolished, so a Swedish deployment is effectively online (plus a small number of retail betting and lottery agents).
| Requirement / product | Status | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum gambling age | 18+ for all licensed gambling — credit to players is prohibited | Gambling Act ch.14 §§2–3 |
| Online casino | Legal — licensed commercial online gambling, open since the 2019 re-regulation | Spelinspektionen licence |
| Sports betting | Legal — licensed commercial betting (online and remaining retail agents) | Spelinspektionen licence |
| Lotteries | Legal — regulated; reserved largely for the state and non-profit purposes | Gambling Act / Ordinance |
| Land-based casino | Abolished — state casino licensing ended 1 January 2026 (last Casino Cosmopol closed April 2025) | Gambling Act (amended) |
For the player-facing math behind these products, the Game Guides cover slots and sports betting in plain language.
Key requirements
The table below maps the core obligations to their place in the law, drawn from the Coverage Map's Sweden dataset. Each reference links to its primary source — the Gambling Act, the Ordinance, or Spelinspektionen's duty-of-care guidance. Every requirement here applies to licensed online gambling and betting.
| Requirement | Reference | Verticals |
|---|---|---|
| Duty of care (omsorgsplikt) Continuous monitoring of play with a documented, living action plan; analyse player profiles, give the player feedback on their behaviour, apply access restrictions where harm is identified or suspected, then follow up on whether the measures worked. | Gambling Act ch.14 §1; Ordinance ch.11 §§1–2; LIFS 2018:2 | Online · Sports |
| Mandatory deposit limits Players must actively confirm stakes and set a deposit limit by day, week and month. Increases take effect only after 72 hours; decreases apply immediately. Operators must contact any player who raises a limit or sets one above SEK 10,000 per month. | Gambling Act ch.14 §§6–7; Ordinance ch.11 §§3–5 | Online · Sports |
| Self-exclusion via Spelpaus Link to the national Spelpaus register and offer an immediate 24-hour break for online casino and bingo. Check Spelpaus at registration and at every login, deny access to excluded players, and close the account of anyone excluded indefinitely. | Gambling Act ch.14 §§11–12; Ordinance ch.11 §§8–12 | Online · Sports |
| One-time bonus rule A bonus may be offered only on the first occasion a player participates in a game with the licensee. Terms must be in clear language, with at least 60 days to meet the conditions. | Gambling Act ch.14 §9; Ordinance ch.11 §6 | Online · Sports |
| Marketing moderation Marketing must show moderation and may not target under-18s. From 1 September 2025, KOVFS 2025:2 codifies the standard: no intrusive formats (pop-ups, takeovers, pulsing or blinking), no easy- or guaranteed-win impressions, no "gambling solves problems" framing, and bonus terms within one click with "new players only" stated up front. | Gambling Act ch.15 §§1–2; KOVFS 2025:2 | Online · Sports |
| Helpline & game information Game rules and the likelihood of winning must be easily accessible in Swedish. Commercial communications (except radio) and gambling venues must show problem-gambling support contact details — and naming the organisation is not enough: a web address, email or phone number must also appear. | Gambling Act ch.14 §4; ch.15 §3; LIFS 2018:5; KOVFS 2025:2 §4.1.1 | Online · Sports |
| Minimum-age verification Gambling may not be provided to anyone under 18. Games must be offered so the player’s age can be verified, the age limit must be stated clearly where the game is offered, and commercial communications must carry clear minimum-age information. | Gambling Act ch.14 §3; ch.15 §3 | Online · Sports |
| Staff training & complaints Continually train staff (internal and external) in product development, marketing, game monitoring, sales and customer service to build awareness of gambling risks, and maintain procedures and people to handle complaints. | Gambling Act ch.14 §§13–14 | Online · Sports |
Legal age and online-gambling status
The minimum age for all licensed gambling in Sweden is 18 (Gambling Act ch.14 §§2–3), and games must be provided so a player's age can be verified before play. Online gambling is legal and licensed: since the 2019 re-regulation, commercial online casino and betting operators — Swedish and foreign — may hold a Spelinspektionen licence to serve Swedish players, and all such operators must connect to the national self-exclusion register. Extending credit to players is prohibited across the board. The 18+ age limit must be stated clearly wherever a game is offered and in commercial communications.
The helpline: Stödlinjen
Sweden's national problem-gambling helpline is Stödlinjen — reachable on 020-81 91 00, free and confidential, with phone and online chat support. Under the Gambling Act (ch.15 §3) and Spelinspektionen's platform regulation (LIFS 2018:5), licensees must keep an independent helpline contact readily accessible: the operator identity and helpline must be prominent on the start page alongside the Spelinspektionen logo and link, and commercial communications (other than radio) must carry support contact details. Crucially, naming the organisation is not enough — a web address, email, or phone number must also be shown (KOVFS 2025:2 §4.1.1).
Stödlinjen
Phone 020-81 91 00 · chat at stodlinjen.se. Free and confidential, for players and people close to them.
Always-on platform duty
Risks of gambling plus the helpline contact must stay readily accessible, prominent on the start page with the Spelinspektionen logo and link (LIFS 2018:5 §§7–8).
Contact, not just a name
A web address, email, or phone number must accompany the support reference — the organisation's name alone does not satisfy the rule (KOVFS 2025:2 §4.1.1).
Both displays below meet the rule. The on-brand version adds the contact channel the regulation requires anyway, and frames the line as open for any question — not only a crisis.
Bare compliance
For help with gambling problems, contact Stödlinjen, 020-81 91 00.
The Playbook way
Free, confidential support — for any question about gambling. Call Stödlinjen on 020-81 91 00 or chat at stodlinjen.se.
Self-exclusion: Spelpaus, one switch for the whole market
Sweden's signature player-protection tool is Spelpaus.se — a national, multi-operator self-exclusion register run by Spelinspektionen. A single registration locks the player out of every licensed gambling site and stops licensed gambling marketing reaching them. This is the opposite of a property-by-property model: one switch covers the whole regulated market.
| Mechanism | What it does | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| National register (Spelpaus) | One enrolment excludes the player from every licensed site; durations include 1, 3, 6 months or indefinitely | Gambling Act ch.14 §§11–12 |
| Operator check | Licensees must check Spelpaus at registration and at every login, and deny access to excluded players | Ordinance ch.11 §§8–12 |
| Immediate 24-hour break | An immediate site-level pause for online casino, online bingo, and computer-simulated machines | Gambling Act ch.14 §§11–12 |
| Indefinite exclusion | Operators must close the account of any player excluded indefinitely | Ordinance ch.11 §§8–12 |
In everyday copy, say "take a break" or "pause your account" for the immediate 24-hour option. Reserve "Spelpaus" and "self-exclusion" for the formal, market-wide register — and when a player asks, be clear that Spelpaus covers all licensed sites at once, not just yours. Never imply a pause on one site lifts the national exclusion.
Advertising restrictions
Marketing of gambling must employ moderation (Gambling Act ch.15 §1) and may not target anyone under 18. Since 1 September 2025, the consumer-agency regulation KOVFS 2025:2 turns "moderation" into concrete rules. The headline do's and don'ts:
- Intrusive formats — pop-ups, takeovers, pulsing or blinking elements
- Impressions of easy or guaranteed winning
- Celebrity success attributed to gambling, or "gambling solves problems" framing
- Marketing to self-excluded players or closed accounts without opt-in
- Ads for unlicensed gambling on TV, radio, and video-sharing platforms
- Clear minimum-age (18+) information in commercial communications
- Support contact — web address, email, or phone — not just the organisation's name
- Bonus terms reachable within one click, with "new players only" stated up front
- Restraint in sponsorship and an overall tone of moderation
Most Playbook content is educational — how games work, odds literacy, myth-busting — so the moderation rules sit comfortably with it. The guardrails that matter most: never imply easy or guaranteed wins, keep any bonus reference tied to the one-time first-play rule, and always carry the 18+ notice and a working Stödlinjen contact (not just the name).
Disclosures as fine print
18+. Gamble responsibly. Stödlinjen.
Disclosures as designed content
18+ | Play on your terms. Free, confidential support: Stödlinjen 020-81 91 00 · stodlinjen.se
This page is a summary for content and marketing teams — a map of Sweden's regulatory landscape, not legal advice. The framework is evolving (KOVFS 2025:2 took effect in September 2025 and land-based casinos were abolished in January 2026), and operators remain responsible for their own compliance. Confirm current requirements with Spelinspektionen and qualified counsel before deployment, and test content against the live Coverage Map.