The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) has issued a statement following recent claims that the channelisation rates for legal gambling in Sweden have fallen to 84%.
According to Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority, this figure is a 1% decrease from 2024.
However, the Authority also claimed that 94% of players engaged with the licensed market in 2025.
Betting remained the stronger-performing segment, with channelisation estimated at 96%, while online casino was lower at 81%.
BOS described this as “too low” and a “serious warning sign” that a significant portion of activity is still taking place on the black market.
Spelinspektionen said the main reasons players used unlicensed sites were being excluded through Spelpaus, seeking better perceived winning opportunities or looking for games unavailable in the Swedish licensed market.
But BOS warned that when players leave the licensed market, they also leave behind player protection tools.
Daniel Valiollahi, BOS Deputy Secretary General, said: “I am surprised that the government has still not presented legislative proposals concerning the scope of the Gambling Act and how the promotion ban against unlicensed operators can be strengthened.
“Several measures that would make it more difficult for unlicensed gambling companies to target Swedish consumers have already been thoroughly examined by the government.
“The question is: what are they waiting for?”
However, not all is negative in the Swedish gambling industry.
A recent report from economist Ola Nevander found that the proportion of adults experiencing gambling-related harm has declined since the early 2000s, despite the industry’s growth.
According to recent research, the average channelisation rate for online casino products in the EU was 55.1%
