Gambling business in Sweden
Sweden is known as one of the most liberal countries in Europe. Democratic laws also apply in the area of gambling. Most gambling in the country is legal both in land-based establishments and with specialized internet resources. Citizens have the right to enter land casinos from the age of 20, and online casinos from the age of 18. According to the Swedish Ministry of Health, most adults have gambled at least once in their lives. On average, the industry earns more than 40 billion kronor annually. There are 4 land-based casinos in Sweden and slot machines can be found almost everywhere.
Swedish gambling legislation
Gaming was legalized in Sweden relatively recently: in 1999. Prior to that, only lotteries had legal status in the country. Currently, there is not a single normative act in the country that regulates all gambling. Work is currently underway to draft a law that will meet EU requirements.
The following land-based casinos are currently operating in the country:
In addition, players can play Baltic Princess cruise ship floating casino. Under Swedish law, slot machines can be placed outside the casino. They are installed in public places: in supermarkets, at some stops of public transport, etc. In accordance with the restrictions established by the Law of 1995, gaming machines may not be placed in the immediate vicinity of educational institutions. Swedish law prohibits minors from playing.
Regulators and licenses
The country has a state monopoly on gambling. Thus, the only licensed operator is Svenska Spel. It is a state-owned company that organizes bingo, poker and lotteries, and its subsidiary Casino Cosmopol AB owns all land.
The gambling business is regulated by the Swedish National Gambling Association (Spelbranschens Riksorganisation). Initially, it was an organization that dealt with the ethical issues of gambling, and later expanded its powers.
Online gambling in Sweden
As a member of the European Union, Sweden cannot prevent the distribution of goods or services permitted in the European Union. Players have no restrictions on foreign sites about the game. The official sites of casinos in Sweden have very serious requirements for players. For example, the user must specify the amount they want to spend on games during the week. After the expiration of this limit, entry to the casino is prohibited.
The most popular gaming resource in the country still remains the site of the state operator Svenska Spel. In second place is the international betting service bet365. The ranking of the 3 most popular online casinos in Sweden looks like this:
Popular slot machines
According to statistics, slot machines in Sweden are popular mainly among older players. According to Casino Maria, the following slots are the most popular in Sweden:
Developers of Swedish gaming software
When it comes to Swedish development companies, of course, NetEnt was the first to operate in 1996 and is now one of the most popular in Europe and beyond. The manufacturer's portfolio includes more than a hundred games. The company is distinguished by a non-standard approach to the selection of items. NetEnt slots are recognizable and original. Almost all of them have a themed bonus game. The most popular games of the developer include the following:
The company is currently operating under a Maltese license. Its offices are located in many countries around the world, including Canada, Ukraine and others. NetEnt has won several prestigious gaming awards and in 2016 became the leading operator of UK sports circles.