Games at casinos and online betting sites are a popular pastime among Swedes today. During the restrictions of the corona pandemic, the online gaming industry got a real boost, and many who started playing during the pandemic have continued with their newfound interest. According to SKOP's report to the Swedish gambling authority Spelinspektionen on Swedes' gambling habits in 2022, a clear majority, 63% of all players, play for fun and entertainment.
85% of the players who took part in the survey play in their homes, i.e. online. Only 17% of them played in a physical gaming store, which underlines the overwhelming majority of Swedish gaming that takes place online. Of these online players, only 29% state that they consider it important that a Swedish gaming company runs the casino they play at. A clear majority of players are open to playing at casinos with a foreign licenselike at site https://svenskaspelautomater360.com. This is interesting from several points of view, not least regarding the future of the regulation of the Swedish gaming market.
Swedish gaming consumers in an international market
Today, Swedish authorities have good opportunities to work for a safe and secure Swedish gaming market. This is often mentioned as something positive in relation to casinos without a Swedish license, but the fact is that the vast majority of countries in the world regulate their respective gambling markets in some way. Often with the same stated mission regarding player care and consumer protection.
When you talk about the Swedish gambling market, you usually refer to casinos with an approved Swedish license from the Swedish Gambling Authority . Such a license is mandatory for all gambling companies that want to operate in Sweden or direct their games directly to Swedish players, for example through Swedish-language advertising or Swedish-language platforms. However, this regulation deals exclusively with the gambling companies, not the players. The Swedish consumer market for casino games and betting is available to significantly more companies than Swedish licensed gaming companies.
Swedish players have every opportunity to play at casinos based abroad. And it does so to a great extent, as SKOP's report from November 2022 clearly shows. Today, the technical development concerning payment methods and internationally viable e-identifications is also advancing rapidly. Even now, from a consumer's point of view, it can be just as easy and convenient to play at a casino from a foreign gaming company as at a Swedish one.
Responsible gambling at casinos with a foreign license
However, what is not available at foreign casinos is the Swedish service Spelpaus. Spelpaus makes it possible for Swedish players to completely exclude themselves from all gambling at casinos and betting sites in Sweden. This is a centralized service that only covers Swedish casinos. Swedish players can therefore continue to play at foreign casinos despite an ongoing suspension from Spelpaus.
Spelpaus is one of several tools Swedish authorities use in their work to make it easy for players to play responsibly. It is a valued service that is used by several players every year. 1% of all Swedish players have used the site, according to SKOP's report. However, the limited scope may raise questions about the service's effectiveness, as Swedish players have continued access to the international gaming market.
The possibility to play at casinos without a Swedish license despite an ongoing suspension via Spelpaus means that the final responsibility for healthy and truly entertaining gambling still rests with the individual. According to SKOP's report, 61% of Swedish players know that Spelpaus exists without having used the service themselves. 41% of players in the survey had not heard of the service. This probably means that Swedish players have a great awareness of the individual responsibility for safe gambling.
Globalization in a digital world – the future of casino online
Dealing with the rapid globalization that the online digital world has opened up is a must for authorities and companies in all industries. Gambling companies today have to comply with a variety of local rules and regulations for each respective country they wish to operate in. The regulations are often extensive and the licensing systems relatively burdensome from an administration point of view.
What the future of casino online will look like can be difficult to predict. Are we moving towards an international gambling market where national gambling laws have played their role, or towards cross-border agreements with common rules around gambling for money? Already today, the gaming market is in practice fully internationalized, and the vast majority of foreign casinos are available to Swedish players.
It is entirely possible to pay with Swedish payment services such as Swish at foreign casinos, and to identify oneself with Swedish e-identifications. With great probability, this will have an impact on future legislation, if the Swedish Gambling Act is to continue to have a positive impact on the gambling market Swedish players actually find themselves in.