he Swedish government have announced a return to some of the of tighter gaming regulations implemented as a consequence of the first wave of the COVID pandemic. A move that native regulator, Spelinspektionen, has readily endorsed.
Rising Omicron infections continue to present challenges to the global gambling industry. A combination of stringent travel stipulations and government sensitivity towards increased betting activity, have both conspired to become tricky obstacles to navigate in recent months.
When the pandemic initially arrived on Scandinavian shores, Sweden moved to increase limits on play time, and curtail the volume of bonuses offered by operators. Furthermore, maximum deposit levels were held at 5,000 Krona (U.S $496) per week, a component that will be further tightened to 4,000 Krona (U.S $444) in the latest round of restrictions. However, the play time and bonus approach will be simply re-installed as opposed to being subjected to further control.
The new rules, which are set to commence from 7th February and continue to at least 30th June, have been sponsored heavily by the Minister for Health & Social Affairs, ArdalanShekarbi. Although Shekarbi believes increased regulation is required, there is currently no clear mandate to support this decision. The review into Sweden’s public gaming activity, initiated on the minister’s orders, is yet to be concluded. Moreover, it’s likely findings will not even be ready prior to the February re-launch.
This is a development that the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) have actively challenged in recent days. Apart from the apparent lack of evidence for increased regulation, BOS suggest that these sorts of measures often drive punters to offshore offerings. GustaffHoffstedt, the General Secretary of BOS, has also stated that the number of gaming operators used per player, on average, significantly increased when deposit limits were initially introduced.
For the time being at least, Sweden looks set to revert back to tighter regulation in the wake of recent COVID upsurges.
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