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Sweden has added tougher rules for licensed gambling operators in 2026, with a credit funded gambling ban now active and a new Spelpaus system update coming in August.
Good to Know
The real test for Sweden is not only whether operators can follow tougher rules. It is whether players stay inside the licensed market once gambling becomes less convenient.
Channelisation sat at 85% in 2024, down one point year-on-year, according to Spelinspektionen. Online casino remains the weak spot, with offshore sites still pulling a large share of play away from regulated brands.
BOS secretary general Gustaf Hoffstedt said:
“It is unacceptable that around a quarter of all online casino gambling is leaking out of the licensed market. It is equally unacceptable that this has been accepted by political decision-makers for half a decade, since the channelisation has also been low in previous assessments, without effective regulatory measures being taken.”
Against that backdrop, Sweden has now blocked licensed operators from accepting deposits tied to borrowed money. The ban took effect on May 1 after the Riksdag expanded the credit prohibition in the Gambling Act.
Operators must refuse gambling funded through credit cards, overdrafts, personal loans, buy-now-pay-later services, invoices, bank loans, or third-party loans. They do not need to investigate every payment in advance. However, if they learn a player uses credit, they must stop the transaction.
Minister for Financial Markets Niklas Wykman said players “simply should not bet with borrowed money.”
The rule goes further than the UK credit card ban from 2020 because Sweden also covers indirect credit use. That makes enforcement harder. Once borrowed funds pass through a bank account, e-wallet, fintech service, or payment aggregator, tracing them becomes messy.
A second change arrives on August 1, when new Spelpaus rules take effect. Each licence holder will receive a unique Actor ID and API Key from Spelinspektionen. Operators must use the correct API for each check, including registration, login, and direct marketing. A check only counts once it confirms whether a person has self-excluded.
Third-party tech suppliers can run those checks, but responsibility stays with the licence holder.
Spelinspektionen will also change leadership that month. Peter Knutsson, currently from Sweden Advertising Ombudsman, becomes director general on August 17. His term runs until August 31, 2032. He succeeds acting director general Johan Röhr, who has led the authority since Camilla Rosenberg left in October 2025.
Wykman said:
“The Swedish gambling market should be characterised by high security and strong consumer protection, and the Swedish Gambling Authority has a major responsibility in this. I am pleased that Peter Knutsson, with his deep knowledge of consumer issues, has accepted the role of Director General.”
For licensed operators, Sweden has created a heavier compliance load in a market already fighting leakage to offshore sites. For Knutsson, the first challenge is clear: make stronger consumer protection work without giving unlicensed rivals an easier sell.