Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen will come under review following major changes to the country’s gambling laws. The assessment, which will be carried out by the Swedish National Audit Office, Riksrevisionen, will evaluate whether the regulator has effectively fulfilled its obligations in supervising the gambling market.
Audit Comes Following New Changes to Swedish Gambling Laws
On July 1, 2023, Sweden launched a new B2B licensing framework as part of amendments to the Swedish Gambling Act, under which all online gambling software suppliers and developers are required to obtain a license from Spelinspektionen so they can operate in the country. The reforms have led to a huge increase in the number of licensed online gambling businesses in Sweden which now sits at around 600.
In addition to enforcing the gaming license requirements, Spelinspektionen was also granted new powers as part of new safer gambling measures approved by the Swedish parliament, Riksdag, in May this year.
Announcing the audit, Riksrevisionen highlighted that the re-regulation of the Swedish gambling market, initiated in 2019, is aimed at regaining control of the market, improving channelization, and protecting Swedish consumers. The agency will assess whether that goal has been achieved, putting Spelinspektionen’s effectiveness under scrutiny.
Spelinspektionen Review to be Published in September 2024
The review will involve two phases – Riksrevisionen will decide on the design of the audit in the initial phase and then proceed with data collection and analysis in the secondary phase.
The findings of the review will be released in September 2024.
