At the start of 2019, some important changes have been introduced regarding online gambling in Sweden, an area regulated by Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority. Spelinspektionen is the main regulatory body in the country, which grants licenses for land based and online casinos, oversees their conduct, and determines fines and sanctions in the event an operator acts contrary to country's gambling laws and regulations.

Up until 2018, online gambling was under the state monopoly, meaning that only state-owned casinos were allowed to legally operate in the country. Although foreign sites still accepted players from Sweden, there was no way for them to apply for a proper license and move outside of the grey zone.

The new law that was passed in 2018 changed all this as Sweden decided to allow interested operators, foreign and domestic alike, to apply for domestic licenses with the Swedish Gambling Authority. This decision by the Swedish government had a twofold goal: to force out all unlicensed operators from the country and to offer better protection for the players by closely and vigilantly monitoring the conduct of the licensed ones.

The license application process was open to online casinos in August, 2018 while the actual law came into force on January 1, 2019. The first batch of licenses was issued on September 30, 2018,  with things really picking up speed in December, with several dozen online casinos being awarded licenses to legally operate in Sweden.

The license application process was open to online casinos in August, 2018 while the actual law came into force on January 1, 2019. The first batch of licenses was issued on September 30, 2018,  with things really picking up speed in December, with several dozen online casinos being awarded licenses to legally operate in Sweden.

Spelinspektion, formerly known as Loteriinspektionen, is the main authority for all things related to gambling in Sweden. With the gambling re-regulation that came into effect in 2019, the scope of their powers and duties has been extended. The Swedish Gambling Authority makes sure all gambling activities, online and otherwise, are conducted in a safe, secure, and fair manner.

According to the new law, operators can now apply for one of six different licenses, depending on the type of activity they’re involved with. These licenses cover a full spectrum of gambling activities, from lotteries and betting to bingo, casino games, and slots. Depending on the license, the cost varies between 400,000 and 700,000 SEK.