May 2024 saw Sweden become yet another of the European gambling regulators to ban all gambling that uses credit cards or credit facilities to purchase credits. But did it ignore its own inquiry to do so?
Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority, has followed in the footsteps of other regulated gaming markets, such as the United Kingdom and Norway, by banning players from using credit-based facilities to purchase casino credits.
Credit Gambling is Banned in Sweden
In a public memorandum, the Spelinspektionen director Camilla Rosenberg confirmed that the regulator found the proposal in the best interest of the Swedish citizens and the country's financial controls.
The prohibition requires online casinos, sportsbooks, and banking processors to ensure players do not use credit cards for online gambling. This restriction extends to performing the necessary checks to ensure that when players use debit cards there are no hidden credit options which can be abused.
However, the Swedish Gambling Authority has retained the option to grant exceptions to non-profit organisations using bingo, games of chance, and lotteries as fundraisers. Should lotto games be public, such as the national lottery, they must abide by the credit card ban.
Not Everyone Agrees with the Decision
While the regulator passed the new gambling law to promote player safety and enhance responsible gambling, not everyone in the region agreed with the decision.
The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) has been a vocal opponent of memorandum Fi2024/00442, mainly its focus on so-called "over-indebtedness" due to the Swedish per capita gross national product (GNP) being some of the highest in the world. All reputable projections show the region fully recovering from the financial impact of the pandemic by 2025.
The watchdog reemphasised that Spelinspektionen was imposing this new ban against the advice of its own inquiry, which supported allowing credit card-based online gambling to continue in the country.
Further, the regulator was handing unlicensed casino operators more ammunition with which to lure unsatisfied Swedes to offshore sites offering untested games, welcome bonuses with unapproved terms, and no guarantee of winnings.
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