Spelinspektionen (SGA)

Before January 2019, gambling in Sweden was largely controlled by the state, and online gambling was unregulated. The introduction of Spelinspektionen, or the Swedish Gaming Authority (SGA), established a modern system to license, organize, and regulate online gambling and the broader Swedish gambling market.

The SGA oversees all gambling companies offering services to Swedish players, whether based domestically or abroad. Since implementing the new regulations, the authority has earned a strong reputation as a regulator that rigorously enforces its rules.

Safe Gambling

The primary goal of the Swedish Gaming Authority (SGA) is to create a healthy and safe gambling market by ensuring that all gambling activities take place in a controlled and regulated environment. The authority enforces compliance with the National Gambling Act (2018:1138), the Act on the Organization of Certain Automatic Games (1982:636), and the Act on Measures against Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (2017:630).

The SGA issues six types of licenses:

State Game – Reserved for fully state-owned limited liability companies, currently only Svenska Spel.
Games for Non-Profit Purposes – For non-profit organizations that run games benefiting public causes, such as county lotteries.
Commercial Online Games – Open to any operator, covering activities like online casinos, bingo, and slot machines.
Betting – Includes online sports betting.
Land-Based Commercial Games – Covers land-based casinos and poker tournaments.
Gambling on Ships – Allows operators to offer games on ships engaged in international traffic.

To obtain and maintain a license, gambling operators must meet strict requirements. According to the Gambling Act, games must provide a high level of consumer protection and security, minimize the negative consequences of gambling, and not be used for criminal activities. Additionally, there are regulations on marketing practices, including a rule that bonuses can only be offered once per player, even if a license covers multiple brands.

Compaint Submission Process

Although the SGA is committed to maintaining a safe gambling environment, it does not mediate disputes between players and licensees. Players with complaints are directed to the General Complaints Board (ARN), provided the disputed amount exceeds SEK 1,000. The SGA should only be contacted if an operator is believed to be in direct violation of regulations.

For complaints related to unfair terms and conditions or questionable marketing practices, players can also reach out to the Swedish Consumer Agency for assistance.

License checking- How to verify

Operators do not need to be based in Sweden to offer services to Swedish players, but they must obtain a license from the Spelinspektionen.

To verify whether an operator is legally operating in Sweden, you can search for the company on the Spelinspektionen website. Licenses and permits can be viewed by company name, website, or license type, along with a list of the websites the operator is authorized to manage.

The SGA enforces its regulations strictly, even against the largest operators. Information about actions taken by the authority—such as license revocations, suspensions, or penalty fees for regulatory breaches—is publicly available.

Players Safety and Self- Exclusion

License holders in Sweden must implement strict measures to promote responsible gambling and prevent excessive play. The SGA enforces player safety through tight controls over bonuses, age limits, and self-exclusion.

All operators are required to display responsible gaming logos prominently at the top of their websites, which must remain visible even when scrolling. These logos must link to:

Spelpaus – allowing players to self-exclude.
Spelgränser (Game Limits) – enabling players to set limits on deposits, spending, or time spent gambling.
Självtest (Self-Test) – offering tools for players to assess their gambling behavior.

As part of Sweden’s gambling re-regulation, a national self-exclusion service, Spelpaus.se, was introduced. It allows players to self-exclude from all licensed gambling operators in Sweden—covering online, land-based, and on-track gambling.

Players can choose exclusion periods of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or a minimum of 12 months until further notice. Once applied, the self-exclusion cannot be canceled before the selected period ends.