Swedish Regulator Announces First Licenses

The Swedish gambling watchdog Lotteriinspektionen issued a press statement last week revealing the names of the first 16 operators that received the new licences.

All these operators will, therefore, be able to offer their services to customers in Sweden’s regulated online gambling market from January 1, 2019.

Familiar Names on the List

Some of the names on this list, such as Kindred Group Plc, Betsson AB and LeoVegas AB, were not a surprise, as they are well-established names in the industry and also based in the nation’s capital.

Kindred Group will be doing business using the following domains: unibet.se, mariacasino.se, storspelare.se, bingo.se, igame.se.

Commenting on this, Henrik Tjärnström, Group Chief Executive Officer of Kindred Plc said it was a historic day for Kindred, as the operator had been pushing for a modern and sustainable gambling market in Sweden from the very start of Unibet in 1997, in which the focus was on consumer protection and harm minimisation.

Another Stockholm-headquartered name to confirm it will be doing business with several brands was Betsson AB. The brands that will help Betsson AB establish a significant presence in the market are Betsson and NordicBet (sports betting) and SverigeAutomaten (slots).

Looking Forward to 2019

Pontus Lindwall, Chief Executive Officer at Betsson said it was good that Sweden had opened up the gaming market for free competition in a controlled environment, and added the company was looking forward to operating on its home market as a recognised operator on equal terms.

The state-owned and operated Svenska Spel received the green light for betting, lotteries, and online casinos, along with AB TRAV, while the list of operators from the Continent includes Interwetten Sports, bwin and partygaming. They will be joined by two UK names – the leading online bookmaker bet365, which will offer sportsbook and gaming, and Tombola, with bingo and games in its offering.

Last month, Lotteriinspektionen published detailed information on the upcoming changes in the regulations, which will be enforced once the new regulatory framework is adopted. Changes include a new name for the regulator – Spelinspektionen (or “gambling inspectorate”), who will have more resources and capacities at its disposal.

Camilla Rosenberg, director general of the Lotteriinspektionen, said she was proud the regulator’s staff had worked out the first license decisions under severe pressure and with a whole new legislation.