This Week
Now
This Week
Now
According to Spelinspektionen, the gaming market's trend curve has turned. For the first time in seven years, interest in games has increased over the past twelve months, rather than declining or stagnating. Something that may partly be due to the current situation, but also to the fact that casino games have developed to become more like TV games.
The development the gaming market has taken in recent years has not escaped anyone. If you're looking for a risk-free casino, then go to baraslots.com. After the Swedish government deregulated its gambling monopoly at the turn of 2019 in favor of a licensing system, over 100 gambling companies have been granted Swedish licenses, several of these for more than one gambling site.
That the industry continues to develop is perhaps not so strange either, despite the small market Sweden may seem to be. Availability has increased drastically since the gambling companies moved online and now everyone of legal age can try their luck directly via mobile, tablet or phone.
In Sweden, it is the state authority Spelinspektionen that is responsible for ensuring that lotteries, casino games and other gambling activities in Sweden are practiced legally, safely and reliably. Every year, they also publish a survey carried out by the Public on Gambling concerning Swedes' gambling habits.
Since 2013, the percentage of Swedes who state that they have gambled at some point during the last 12-month period has annually declined or remained stagnant. Now the trend is reversing for the first time. According to Allmänheten om spel's latest report , six percent more Swedes state that they gambled for money in the last 12-month period, an increase from 60 percent to 66 percent.
This increase means that you are back at the same level as in the period 2017-2018, but it is still lower than anything in 2013-2016. The highest rating was in 2013, when a whopping 76 percent stated that they had gambled.
When it comes to the number of Swedes who play monthly or weekly, there is a similar pattern, albeit not as dramatic. Two percent more say they play monthly compared to the previous report, and one percent more say they play weekly.
The report also shows what is most popular among Swedes to gamble on. As in the previous year, lotteries and number games are unimpeded number one, as a full 61 percent of all players believe that they primarily play games within this category. This is followed by trotting (32 percent), betting (22 percent), bingo (18 percent), classic casino games (11 percent), poker (9 percent) and slot games (5 percent).
This distribution is also similar between those who play physical games and those who play digitally. We find the biggest difference between betting digitally and in store (7 percent physical form, 22 percent digital).
After the government's temporary restrictions were introduced last summer, many probably believed that the distribution would even out somewhat, but at the same time, the current situation may be a reason why many continued to look to internet-based actors.
Since the licensing system came into effect, the government has worked hard to get Swedes to play with players with a Swedish license. This is because these sites have agreed to live up to the state's security requirements and pay Swedish tax. Therefore, it should be seen as a major failure that 95 percent of the respondents in the aforementioned survey do not know how to recognize whether a site has a Swedish license or not.
Anyone who is unsure of this can either go to the Gaming Authority's website and go to the section "Gaming companies with license" or look for the Gambling Authority's blue and white logo on the gaming site you are considering visiting. All operators who have received a Swedish license must clearly display this, which is often done at the bottom of the site.
How Spelinspektionen will inform more Swedes about how to navigate to a Swedish-licensed website remains to be seen, but this will be a central focus area for the government authority in 2023.