Regulation

Trade body urges softer line from Swedish regulator

By Mikael Sandberg · Published 28 October 2026

The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling, BOS, wants Spelinspektionen to change how it fines Swedish gambling companies. That is the message in a new report published on 28 October 2026, produced by law firm Nordic Legal on behalf of BOS. The report compares Spelinspektionen with other Swedish authorities and argues the gambling regulator is unusually harsh when sanctioning anti-money-laundering failures.

What’s new

The report focuses on three areas: anti-money laundering supervision, assessments of individuals in senior management positions, and sanction fee levels. The comparison is made against the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, the Stockholm County Administrative Board and the Swedish Schools Inspectorate – agencies with similar supervisory responsibilities.

The figures are striking. Of nine reviewed decisions between 2022 and 2025, seven involved sanctions at or above 50% of the maximum, with two reaching approximately 91% and 100%. By comparison, the FSA’s AML sanctions in large banking cases ranged roughly from 20% to 27% of its maximum, and the Stockholm County Board’s fees were usually a smaller fraction.

The report also highlights differences in how senior staff are assessed. Spelinspektionen puts greater weight on the timely submission of documentation when assessing senior management, while other agencies primarily assess suitability for the role. BOS also points to channelisation figures as context: the overall channelisation rate is 84%, with sports betting sitting at 95%, but online casino at a more dismal 68%. BOS argues the weak casino figure is partly down to a narrow definition of permissible games, putting licensed firms at a commercial disadvantage against offshore and illegal operators.

The report lands as routine enforcement continues. Earlier in October, Spelinspektionen imposed financial penalties of SEK4 million on Hillside Group’s gaming arm and SEK40 million on its sports betting business.

What it means for you as a player

Nothing changes overnight if you play at a Swedish-licensed casino. Every licensed operator still has to check players against Spelpaus and follow the rules on duty of care and the 18-year age limit. But the tone of this debate could eventually shape how operators handle customer checks in practice, for instance how often you’re asked to show proof of income or bank statements for larger deposits.

If BOS’s criticism of a narrow game definition gains traction, it could over time make it easier for Swedish-licensed casinos to broaden their game selection without ending up in a grey area. Whatever happens with the report, it’s always worth keeping an eye on your own limits. Support is available via Stödlinjen.se, and Spelpaus.se lets you exclude yourself from all licensed gambling in Sweden.

The bigger picture

This isn’t the first time BOS and Nordic Legal have flagged the same issue. Last year’s BOS study, also carried out by Nordic Legal, pointed to liabilities in online casino regulation as a reason behind weak channelisation. The criticism isn’t entirely one-sided, though. The trade body doesn’t see the regulator as all bad, and has praised its nuance on sanction severity in certain cases in this year’s report.

The report feeds into a wider debate about how strictly the Swedish gambling market should be regulated, a debate that has run alongside several high-profile court cases over fine amounts in recent years. BOS hopes the report can serve as a basis for Spelinspektionen to review its working methods, but it is ultimately up to the regulator and lawmakers to decide whether anything changes.