It is no accident that we mentioned this fact, because in this article we reach out to the country from which the invincible adventurers, risk - takers and gamblers-the Vikings-come, and see if gambling is a real euphoria for today's Swedish citizens.
Our team of risk-taking editors has done a thorough research and collected in this article the best online casinos for players from Sweden where you can play safely and confidently. So, we invite you to read and choose for yourself the best Swedish casino.
Historical background of gambling in Sweden
The Swedish gambling market has a rather long but not very impressive history. Legend has it that gambling in Sweden dates back to the Middle Ages, when the division of land between Sweden and Norway was based on the game of dice. Records from the 15th century prove that the Swedes liked card games the most. Later in the 18th century, the first land-based casino in the country was opened, but soon it was operating due to the fact that the church did not support such an initiative and forbade the conduct of any gambling activity on moral grounds. This ban did not last long, around the 50s of the 20th century, betting on racing was legalized. The first lottery, called Penning Lotteriet, was founded in 1897. Sweden's first gambling law was passed in 1994, called the Lotteries act.
The main purpose of this act was to regulate gambling and sports betting and to give full power to the Swedish Gambling Board, which under the Act would have the right to issue casino licenses in Swedish kronor. Land-based casinos were legalized in 1999 and another law regulating land-based casinos in Sweden was passed in the same year. There were four such casinos, but in addition to them there were several casinos with restaurants, whose activities were controlled by Lotteries act. In 2002, the law on lotteries was changed, all online casinos in Sweden are controlled by the government and can only operate under the banner of Svenska Spell. This made Swedish players unable to use the services of popular international online casinos.
That all changed in 2019 when the government proposed new rules allowing foreign operators to apply for a licence with Sweden's gaming Inspectorate. This means that Swedish players can again use the services offered by foreign operators. Nevertheless, they will be taxed at 18% of income. In 2020, there were some amendments to the terms and conditions of each promotion offered to Swedish casino players to prevent gambling addiction.
According to the Gaming Act issued by the Swedish Gambling authority, about 100 sites have been licensed to operate. The introduction of such provisions has completely improved the situation of Sweden's budget and the position of its players.
Online gambling laws and regulations in Sweden
Sweden's online gambling law may come as a big surprise to those who come across it for the first time. Nevertheless, it is important to know the laws of the country where you are playing so that you can make sure that you follow the law or at least practice safe online gambling in Sweden and never get into trouble.
To save you time, we have collected the most frequently asked questions about online gambling law in Sweden and passed them on to our legal experts. Now you can get basic information about Swedish online gambling laws without having to spend hours reading Swedish online gambling laws and searching for answers yourself.
Is online gambling allowed in Sweden?
In short, online gambling is legal in Sweden, just like offline gambling. The bad news is that this is not as simple an issue as it seems at first glance. The online gambling industry in Sweden is fully regulated and controlled by the government agency Svenska Spel, which has the right to license online gambling in Sweden. In fact, this means a state monopoly on the online gambling market in Sweden, where international casino operators are banned. When it comes to offline casinos, we can only find them in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Sundsvall.
What is the legal age to participate in online gambling in Sweden?
The official age of participation in online gambling, set by the Swedish online gambling authorities, is 20 years old, which is higher than the average age of players who are allowed to gamble in most European countries. People under the age of 20 cannot play at prestigious online or offline casinos in Sweden.
What laws govern online gambling in Sweden?
There are several main documents regulating the activities of legal online casinos in Sweden. These are the Lottery Act and the casino act . According to these documents, Swedish online casinos are controlled by the government.
So how to play at a legal online casino in Sweden?
Players wishing to try their luck at a secure online casino in Sweden have two options. First of all, you can play in legal online casinos that belong to the agency Svenska Spel. this agency offer a fairly limited number of games, the most famous of them are video poker and bingo. Secondly, you can choose one of the best online gambling sites in Sweden from our list and play at the best Swedish online casinos for Real Money. Even though these casinos are not licensed by the Swedish government, they are still available to players and offer a much wider selection of games and offers from different casinos.
Land based casinos & virtual casinos in Sweden
| Land-based casinos | Virtual casinos |
| There are only four land-based casinos in Sweden. They are located in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Sundsvall. All casinos are operated by Svenska Spel, which controls all gambling in Sweden. Land-based casinos offer slot machines, poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat and much more. | Sweden has opened its doors to the best foreign gambling operators. Currently, the Swedish government has issued about 100 licenses. This means that Swedish players have the opportunity to decide which virtual casino they want to bet on. |
|
|
Which gambling games are most loved by Swedish players?
Of course, all gambling games have their fans all over the world, including in Sweden. At this point, we would just like to show our readers how we have created a ranking of popular games among Swedish players according to official statistics. The Top 6 looks like this.:
- Poker;
- Bingo;
- Blackjack;
- Roulette;
- Bones;
- Baccarat and slot machines.
Local payment methods
We are sure that this point will interest you the most. Payment methods are one of the most important points that we pay attention to when testing casinos, so we want to present in this article What methods can be used by Swedish players.
The first method we want to talk about is Zimpler. It is very convenient for people who constantly use a mobile phone. By using Zimpler you agree to pay regular invoices.
The second method is Siru Mobile. Apparently, like Zimpler, he is required to pay an invoice that the company issues once a month. Swedes can pay by phone.
Another popular payment method in Sweden is Paylevo. You are not required to download any application or register on any site. The only thing that is needed when making a payment is identification by phone. Confirmation of your identity is possible using the electronic ID BankID. You must enter your Social Security number and a six-digit verification code.
Online gambling revenue predictions in Sweden
Although Sweden is a country with a legal and regulated online gambling market, its online gambling regulations are definitely not perfect. For a long time, Sweden has come under criticism from the European Commission, which has again begun to struggle with the state monopoly in European countries. According to the European Union, Sweden's online gambling laws restrict fundamental freedoms and should have been changed long ago. It took some time for the Swedish government to take similar action, but now there is a chance that the law in this country will soon change to pave the way for better online casinos for Swedish players and even better Casino offers for all of us. According to the latest information, Sweden intends to end the monopoly of Svenska Spel in the offline and online gambling market in order to start licensing new online casinos for Swedish players. The exact date of the legislative changes is not yet known.
With the liberalization of gambling laws, Swedish players will have even more online casino sites in Sweden on which they will be able to place bets. According to statistics, Swedes spend about 2% of their income on gambling, and most of this money goes to unlicensed online casinos. The changes in the law would put the money back into the top ten online casinos in Sweden, which would have a positive impact on the country's economy.
Interesting facts about Swedish casinos
Casino cosmopol in Sundsvall was voted the best casino in 2012. The Jury pointed out that this casino is tailored to different audiences, which is why it was ranked first among such strong competitors as casino campione d'italia or Bergenz casino.
In 2012, a married couple from Södermanland won a jackpot of 338,879,320 kroner (over 153 billion SAN) at Casino cosmopol in Stockholm. Casino employees said that spouses are regular guests at their casino. Hit such a jackpot woman when her husband went to pay for parking.
Our results
In conclusion, you have already noticed that South African players in Sweden can take advantage of a number of excellent offers. Anyway, experienced players advise newcomers to inform the customer service that you are a foreigner. There are only four land-based casinos in Sweden, but despite this, each of them stands in the ranking of the best, continues to develop and does not cease to amaze its customers. When it comes to virtual casinos in Sweden, you can not worry about safety, because the best online casinos are licensed by the Swedish state-owned company Svenska Spel.
