The Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, has published a new report outlining measures that online gambling operators without a Swedish licence can implement to prevent users located in Sweden from accessing their services.
The report does not define a single sufficient solution but instead outlines a range of contributing measures. It groups these measures into three main areas: access to gambling, registration and payment processes, as well as contractual terms.
Access-related measures aim to restrict entry to the service before any registration, payment, or gameplay occurs. These include geo-blocking and other technical barriers, such as stop messages or access restrictions.
Measures related to registration, payments and withdrawals include rejecting registrations that use Swedish address details. They may also involve blocking payments from Swedish payment providers, Sweden-issued cards, transactions requiring Swedish e-ID and transfers to Swedish IBAN accounts.
Measures related to contractual terms and user regulation focus on the relationship between the operator and the customer. Operators may use their terms and conditions to limit marketing or state that users in Sweden are not permitted to use the service.
The report is technology-neutral, meaning the measures can be implemented through different technical or administrative solutions. The focus is on the outcome rather than the specific method used.
The initiative is based on the policy memorandum The Scope of the Gambling Act (Ds 2025:23), which proposes a shift towards a participation-based criterion. Under this approach, an online gambling service would be considered to be offered in Sweden if a user physically located in the country is able to participate.
Previously, online gambling was regulated based on whether it was “directed” at Sweden. This approach allowed some unlicensed operators to avoid regulation by removing obvious Swedish elements such as language, currency or local marketing.
The extended Swedish gambling credit ban takes effect on 1 May 2026 and applies to all forms of licensed gambling and various payment methods
