The National Audit Office Reviews the Gambling Inspectorate’s Supervision of the Gambling Market

November 24, 2023 | Gambling

Stockholm, Sweden (November 22, 2023) — The National Audit Office is currently conducting an audit of the Gambling Authority’s supervision. The results of the review will be presented in a report with planned publication in September 2024.

The Swedish Gaming Authority’s supervision is crucial for the goal to be achieved. At the same time, the authority’s conditions for carrying out supervision have changed due to the re-regulation of the gaming market. The National Audit Office intends to review whether the Gambling Authority’s supervision of the gambling market is effective.

Background

Gambling for money turns over large sums and can create large financial surpluses. The state’s total revenue for gambling (gambling tax, dividend from Svenska Spel and corporation tax for gambling companies) is around SEK 6 billion per year. At the same time, society’s costs for gambling problems are estimated to amount to SEK 9 billion.

The goal of the Swedish gambling policy is “… a healthy and safe gambling market under public control, which protects the revenue for the public and which provides good conditions for non-profit non-profit activities to obtain funding through revenue from gambling. The negative consequences of gambling must be reduced and there must be a high level of security in the games. Gambling for money must be covered by strong consumer protection and cannot be misused for criminal activity”.

The Swedish gaming market was reregulated in 2019, when a requirement for a license was introduced for everyone who acts on the Swedish gaming market. The purpose was, among other things, to regain control of the gambling market, increase channelization (that is, the percentage of gambling at gambling companies with a Swedish license) and protect Swedish consumers.

Expectations for the Swedish Gambling Authority’s supervision are high in the new, reregulated system. At the same time, the authority’s conditions for carrying out supervision have changed. Before the reregulation, Svenska Spel, ATG and the 4 largest national lotteries accounted for over 95 percent of turnover on the regulated market. After the reregulation, a large number of new actors have been added, and today the Gambling Inspectorate has supervisory responsibility over approximately 600 license and permit holders. The fact that the legislation is largely new also means that there is a lack of practice.