Impact on the Best Sports Betting Sites in Sweden
Online sports betting is the gambling sector that enjoys the most popularity in Sweden. Naturally, most active gamblers in the country associate the act of wagering money, namely, with placing bets on sports odds prices. That being said, the revenue data disclosed by Spelinspektionen shows a 6.4% decline in revenue from sports betting for the final quarter of the year 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, or SEK 3.92 billion versus SEK 4.19bn.
Much to the discontent of operators of sports betting sites in Sweden, the proposed reforms by Paf are not meant to make things easy for them. They will establish a safer industry with less risk for the consumers. As you can guess, if Swedish sports betting ads are banned, this ties the hands of new operators seeking exposure. This makes the burden of proof heavier for new sportsbooks, but then you have online reviews that help you learn more about the best sports betting sites in Sweden.
Facts About Gambling in Sweden
If we take a look at the numbers published by Sweden’s gambling regulator, we’ll see that the gaming industry has been doing alright so far. If Sweden was to abolish gambling ads related to sports, that would hurt the revenue coming from the most profitable vertical. Here are the four most important statistics for 2021 we found:
| 👱🏽♂️ Adults who gambled in the past 12 months | 73% |
| 📝 Licensed Betting/Commercial Gambling Operators | 65 |
| 💰Revenue from Sports Betting in Q4 of 2021 | SEK 3.94 billion |
| 👱🏽♀️ Number of Self-Excluded Individuals | 70,000 |
For some, it’s worrying to know that in 2021, 73% of adults in Sweden gambled at least once in the last 12 months, before the survey. What’s more, the number of self-excluded players also denotes that a large portion of Sweden’s population is gambling, and many of those people are not having a great time. Is it justifiable then for Sweden to ban gambling ads? Let’s find out.
Paf’s Gambling Policy Proposal in a Nutshell
In a discussion organised by Paf during the annual event Almedalen Week in Sweden, the former proposed a series of changes to the gambling industry. Paf is a gambling company with customers in Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and other European countries. The discussion was held between Paf and Members of Parliament from the Centre Party, the Sweden Democrats, and the Moderates.
- Bump up the gambling tax rate from 18% to 21%
- Spelpaus should be expanded.
- Ban gambling ads on TV and outdoors
- Don’t use sports to promote gambling (ads and sponsorships included)
- Delineate how operators should care for problem gamblers
Besides the proposition to ban gambling advertisements related to sports, another of the points made by the operator was that the scope of Spelpaus must be extended and applied equally to all operators in the industry. Spelapaus is an online platform for self-exclusion from gambling for Swedes. Paf’s CEO Christer Fahlstedt wasted no time making his intentions crystal clear:
” I think that gambling advertising is one of the biggest reasons for the industry’s bad reputation. Is it not time that we do something about it in Sweden like many other countries have done? The increased gambling tax can also completely compensate for possible loss of sponsorship money to the sports organisations,”.
The Latest Bill And ‘Adjusted Moderation in Marketing’
The Swedish government has been very active in its effort to stabilise the gambling industry and keep the players at arm’s length from problems related to addiction. A proposal to ban high-risk game commercials between 9 pm and 6 am was rejected under the assumption that it would do more harm than good, all things considered. Be it that way, an ad ban in Sweden was not off the table. Here’s what the bill enacted by the Swedish government has achieved:
- ⌚ No daytime limitations for ads of high-risk gambling games
- 📃 Gaming software providers now need a Spelinspektionen licence for Sweden
- 📺 ‘Special moderation’ measures will be involved in regard to gambling adverts in Sweden
Wherever the bill is talked about, ‘special moderation’, the legislature means that the adverts must be sensitive to the level of risk involved in the games or activities being promoted. By the same token, glamorising gambling should be avoided at all costs by advertisers as it will be against the law.
FAQ About Gambling Adverts in Sweden
Find what people worrying about what could stop the ad ban in Sweden are asking. We researched what the most trusted sources had to say and distinguished speculations from facts. Here are the answers to the most asked questions about the debate organised by Paf.