Spelinspektionen to Launch Supplier License Applications as Planned

Sweden’s gaming regulator, Spelinspektionen, set the cart before the horse by announcing its B2B supplier license application process would launch as planned on March 1 next year without having the bill implementing these licenses approved in parliament.

Proceeding According to Initial Plans

The announcement that Spelinspektionen would open the application process as planned is a display of the operator’s strong belief that the bill introduced by the government in an effort to boost the level of channelization in the market would pass.

The announcement is bold in the background of the recent general elections in Sweden which showed that the government that wrote the bill would not have the required number of parliament members to pass it, let alone the intentions announced by the Moderaterna Party to overhaul the gambling industry.

Spelinspektionen said in its announcement that it would continue working according to its plans so that when the bill is passed, it is implemented: the bill states that the new online supplier licenses would come into effect from July 1, 2023, and if the application process is delayed, it will jeopardize the bill implementation.

At the time when the government released details of the bill in March, it became clear that the bill’s provisions related to the supplier licenses include an application fee of SEK120,000 ($10,620) and that the government expects roughly 70 software supplier licenses to be issued at launch.

Outlining the importance of obtaining a license as the new law will limit operations in the market only for licensed B2B suppliers, Spelinspektionen urged interested operators to submit their applications beginning March 1, 2023.

Discourage Illegal Gambling

In its announcement, the national gaming regulator stated that the purpose of the new license requirement for gaming software is to discourage illegal operations as unlicensed game operators would be prohibited from using companies supplying, providing, installing, and amending gaming software for licensed gaming operators in the country.

Spelinspektionen was always committed to protecting and enforcing the regulated gaming market in the country, issuing bans to operators that continue to target Swedish people with gaming offers without the appropriate permit.

Just days ago, the regulator issued a ban against Ease Gaming N.V. after finding that the Curacao-based company was offering gaming on its Casinea website without holding a Swedish gambling license. The website was offering its products and services in Swedish and allowing Swedish people to register during the regulator’s check.

Unfortunately for the regulator, its ban cannot be enforced on a non-European entity and is more likely a signal to Swedish players to avoid gaming with the sanctioned operator on its websites.