In a transfer aimed toward reinforcing participant safeguards and addressing monetary threat, the Swedish Government has submitted a proposal to utterly outlaw the usage of credit score in playing. This new legislative advice seeks to exchange the present, restricted restrictions within the Swedish Gambling Act with a much more complete ban.
Although playing on credit score has technically been restricted beneath current Swedish regulation, present rules solely apply to conditions the place operators or their brokers immediately prolong credit score on the time of buy. That leaves a authorized hole—gamers are nonetheless in a position to fund their playing by means of bank cards or exterior loans, so long as the financing isn’t provided by the operator.
Proposed Ban to Cover Third-Party Credit and Card Payments
Under the urged adjustments, licensed playing corporations and brokers can be forbidden from facilitating any playing exercise involving borrowed cash. This contains stopping gamers from getting into into credit score agreements with exterior lenders and guaranteeing that bets should not accepted if an operator is conscious the funds come from credit score sources.
One of probably the most impactful elements of the proposal is the outright ban on funds made through bank cards – each in bodily institutions and on-line—if the credit score nature of the transaction will be recognized on the time of cost. The authorities’s intention is to shut the remaining avenues by means of which gamers may accumulate gambling-related debt.
To help this, playing operators would even be anticipated to take cheap measures to discourage the usage of credit score. Examples embrace digital warnings or clear signage in retail settings. The authorities emphasised that operators gained’t be required to purchase new {hardware} however ought to as an alternative leverage current methods to dam bank card use with out disrupting the sale of non-gambling items.
Consumer Debt and Gambling Risk on the Core
Citing a robust hyperlink between problematic playing conduct and over-indebtedness, the federal government framed the proposed credit score ban as a crucial measure to scale back the chance of monetary hurt. Despite current protections, the persistence of credit-fueled betting has prompted regulators to hunt stronger and extra inclusive restrictions.
According to the official proposal, the aim is to ascertain a safer playing surroundings and restrict the likelihood for gamers to fall into debt as a consequence of playing.
Exemptions for Some Lottery Operations
While the proposal outlines a broad prohibition, it does permit the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) to grant exceptions in particular circumstances. Public-benefit lotteries not affiliated with political events—resembling subscription-based video games or supplementary lottery merchandise—might qualify for restricted exemptions, supplied they implement safeguards to cap credit score utilization.
Timeline and Context for Reform
If the proposal is adopted, the regulation would take impact on April 1, 2026. This reform is a part of an ongoing effort to tighten playing oversight in Sweden. In early 2025, BOS (the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling) pushed for legislative updates to deal with rising regulatory challenges. Soon after, in April, Spelinspektionen printed a report highlighting a number of authorized shortcomings in Sweden’s present on-line playing framework.
The new credit score ban proposal is the newest step in a coordinated technique to strengthen client protections and modernize the nationwide playing system.
Source:
Regeringen stärker skyddet för spelare – föreslår nytt förbud mot spel på kredit, regeringen.se, 12 juni 2025
