Casino Deposit Caps Unenforceable Says Swedish Watchdog

Sweden’s casino deposit limits cannot be enforced, said the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate. The Spelinspektionen said that the limits are valid per license and gamblers who use multiple providers can avoid the restrictions.

The Swedish Gambling Restrictions Cannot Be Enforced Says Spelinspektionen

The Swedish Gaming Inspectorate (Spelinspektionen) has announced that the introduced limits for casino deposits are impossible to enforce. Back in June, the Swedish government proposed temporary restrictions on online gambling aiming to enhance the player protection during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Among the restrictions we found a weekly spending limit of SEK 5,000 and bonuses no greater than SEK 100. Time limits were also introduced as a part of the restrictions. Shortly after, the restrictions came into effect.

However, the restrictions cannot be enforced, said Spelinspektionen because they apply per license. In other words, any user that has accounts with more than one license, can easily void the restrictions and spend SEK 5,000 twice or more. Given that the time limits also apply per license, players can also void this restriction.

Alternative Way for Enforcement of the Gambling Restrictions Also in Limbo

According to the Jämlikhetskommissionen (the Swedish Equality Commission) another method for enforcing the gambling restrictions would be the creation of the centralized database. This database is to oversee all operators in the country and allow Spelinspektionen to see how much each player is spending across different platforms.

Although Spelinspektionen hasn’t rejected such system, it said that many problems may occur if such database exists. Spelinspektionen expressed concern about the privacy of individuals, using the gambling platforms but also about the confidentiality of the gaming operators. Such database might also interfere with the freedom of the Swedish people. Spelinspektionen also noted such product must comply with both the local laws as well as the EU laws, ensuring the protection of information and human rights.

Online Gaming Revenue in Sweden on the Rise

Besides commenting on the deposit limits for online gambling Spelinspektionen revealed data about the gaming revenue. When comparing year-on-year results for June, a 5% increase in revenue was observed. This makes some SEK 1.17 billion.

Breakdown of the revenue shows that the land-based casino venues of Svenska Spel did not raise revenue because they were closed during June. On the other hand, the lottery and gaming machines by Svenska Spel contributed for SEK 428 million, marking a 11% increase in revenue.

Changing focus to problem gambling in Sweden, a report by the Equality Commission was released earlier this month. According to the paper, 2% of the country’s population suffered from gambling addiction.

Out of that number, 0.4% of the people were suffering from severe gambling addiction. Based on those numbers the commission called for fresh funding, pointing out that the resources for battling gambling harm have not changed since 2017.