Sweden – Government approves online casino limits
Sweden’s government has approved plans that will see consumers face an SEK5,000 mandatory weekly deposit cap and licensees limited to offering bonuses of up to SEK100.
The measures will come into force from 2 July and remain in place until the end of 2020, with the restrictions applying to online casino games and slots. Players will also be required to set time limits on how long they play online casino games and slots with licensed operators in Sweden.
“As a result of the current pandemic, we see a mix of circumstances that together create great risks in the gaming sector,” explained Sweden’s Social Security Minister, Ardalan Shekarabi. “These need to be counteracted. With these measures, the government will strengthen the protection of Swedish consumers.”
The move comes despite Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, criticising the plans and chief executives from Swedish licensees signing a petition in protest.
Fintan Costello, Managing Director of BonusFinder.com, condemned the decision to move forward with the plans: “This decision by the Swedish government will only drive more players to the black market which is just a click away.
“Further bonus restrictions and relying on hard deposit limits instead of affordability checks will make the legal market even less appealing to local players. Furthermore, giving licensees only two weeks to implement these changes and alter marketing will be a huge and costly challenge for operators.”
