What is the Swedish gambling regulator?
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Spelinspektionen (the Swedish Gambling Authority) is the regulator responsible for gambling in Sweden. It was established when Sweden re-regulated its gambling market in January 2019, opening the market to licensed private operators under the Gambling Act (2018:1138).
How Swedish licensing works
Operators who want to offer gambling to Swedish residents must hold a Swedish licence from Spelinspektionen. Licensed operators must implement strict responsible gambling measures including mandatory deposit limits and the option for players to set loss limits. Marketing is heavily regulated — operators cannot offer bonuses to existing players (only a welcome bonus to new registrations). Spelinspektionen can fine and revoke licences for non-compliance.
Spelpaus: the national self-exclusion system
Sweden operates Spelpaus, a national self-exclusion registry similar to GAMSTOP in the UK. Registering with Spelpaus blocks you from all Swedish-licensed gambling sites simultaneously. All licensed operators in Sweden are required to check against Spelpaus. Registration is managed at spelpaus.se.
Ben Barber got into the gambling industry through the poker rooms of London in the early 2000s. After building up a solid grounding in casino, sports betting and poker, he made the move to Malta where he spent close to a decade writing for some of the biggest affiliate networks in the region. A few years ago he relocated to Bali, which shifted his focus toward website strategy and affiliate marketing. The casino side never really left, though. He still writes reviews, how-to guides and in-depth pieces on everything from slots and live dealer tables to crypto casinos and sweepstakes sites. His approach is fact-first: help players understand how online gambling actually works before they deposit a cent.