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New Minister to Focus On Overhauling Sweden’s Gambling Laws
By Shane Addinall Oct 27, 2022 LegalitySweden's gambling industry remains optimistic about the new government's ability to create a more gambling-friendly approach. As the new gambling minister takes the reigns, it is only a question of time on how much change lies ahead.Sweden’s new government appointed Niklas Wykman as its Minister for Financial markets, putting him in charge of gambling laws. The country’s gambling trade association, Branscheforenigen för Onlinespel (BOS), subsequently raised three areas of concern it hopes the new minister will address.
At the time of the Moderaterna Party's victory a few weeks ago, BOS highlighted the need for greater government support in the gambling industry and looser regulations around bonus benefits. The BOS once more raised priorities it believes the new coalition right-leaning parliament must address, including the restructuring of state-owned Svenska Spel.
Pressing Priorities
Gustaf Hoffstedt, Chief Executive at BOS, commented on Minister Wykman's appointment and concluded that the appointment must not be interpreted as the Liberal-Conservative government's intention for gambling in Sweden. Hoffstedt believes only time will reveal what the new ruling party truly plans for the country's gambling industry.
Minister Wykman now heads the department for financial markets, a change from the previous government structure where the civil minister and the minister for social affairs managed the gambling sector. Although it differs from the last government, it is in keeping with the Moderate-party government from 2006.
Hoffstedt pointed out three areas the association wishes to discuss and said:
“We look forward to having a discussion with Niklas Wykman about how gambling policy can best be developed in Sweden. We will have three important messages in those discussions.”
The three priorities include greater protection and benefits for licensed gambling operators, and BOS believes this must be at the expense of illegal providers. BOS also asks that the government rearrange its priorities to regulate gambling rather than acting as a commercial gambling company. The association also challenges the new government to admit how important the gambling industry is for the Swedish economy.
Keeping Promises
While campaigning for the recent elections, the victorious Moderaterna Party announced its plans to overhaul Sweden's existing gambling laws. Specific intentions of privatising the commercial, competitive division of the state-owned operator, Svenska Spel. The Liberal-Conservative party indicated that it would split Svenska Spel in two and sell the competitive gaming unit.
At the time, BOS lauded the right-leaning party for the plan to re-align the government’s commitments to a fair gambling market. With the recent comments from Hoffstedt reminding them of their intentions.
He commented on the second priority:
“Secondly, the state should concentrate on making laws that the rest of us must follow rather than acting as a commercial gambling company itself.”
In June this year, the new leading party submitted its provisional mandate to split Svenska Spel into two entities. The monopoly gaming division would control lottery and keno activities in the country, and the government would sell the competitive gambling and sports betting unit to private companies. At the time, the Moderate Party explained that a gambling business was no longer a state requirement because the country has a regulated gambling market.
An Atmosphere of Change
The new Swedish government has already changed certain structures in its parliament, and if it plans on delivering on earlier promises, more change is in the air. Along with the requests mentioned by BOS, the coalition party conveyed its intentions to overhaul the gambling industry months ago.
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