Sweden is a unique country, even by the standards of democratic Europe. In the sphere of gambling it has also chosen its own way, which is dictated, among other things, by the rapid development of the Internet. The peculiar attitude to gambling is manifested in the fact that, in fact, it is allowed, because it is not prohibited.
Gambling at the crossroads
For a long time now, the development of gambling in Sweden has followed two paths. On the first, moves the state monopolist Svenska Spel, founded back in 1997 with the support of the government. Under its wing is developing all possible areas of gambling - betting, poker, bingo, racing and casinos. The latter, by the way, was allowed by the government to open only four.
The other way is taken by the legion of foreign betting shops and Swedish companies with foreign licenses. After all, no one forbids locals to gamble online at the sites of overseas betting shops.
Swedes choose the second way
The state cannot and does not seem to want to stop Swedes from playing on foreign bookmakers' sites. The democratic principles in the country are too strong. Interest in the services of the local gambling monopoly Svenska Spel is steadily decreasing, while the popularity of foreign bookmakers is increasing. Now 56% of Swedes prefer to bet there. The legal aspect will be resolved in the near future.. Everything is ready for this, because through the Internet a lot of foreign gambling companies are already active on the market and are fully ready for legalization.
The fight for the Swedish inheritance
Even before it became known that the new law on gambling will allow foreign companies to work officially in the country, bookmakers from all over Europe actively promoted their products in Sweden. It's not a problem at all to pay for a bet in Swedish krona. For those unique Swedes who do not know English, there is an option to include the state language.
The most successful in working with the Swedish audience, of course, the British giants of the betting industry. First of all the ubiquitous Bet365 and 10bet. Among the local operators stand out one of the largest gambling companies in Europe Betsson and the notorious Unibet.
But nothing prevents other bookmakers to explore the Swedish market. In fact, they have no financial obligations to the Swedish government, except for the license fee and tax. The tax, by the way, will be slightly higher than the European average - 18% of turnover. For the license you need to pay from 8 to 70 thousand euros - mere trifles for bookmakers with million-dollar profits. The local market is considered one of the most democratic and competitive in the world. Now it is a question of passing a law - which is scheduled for the beginning of next year and which the European Union has been asking for so long.
About Swedish bookmakers
Since there is not much choice for Swedes, many prefer to bet at bettingsidor utan svensk licens. Most of the Swedish bookmakers run their business from Malta, where the tax burden is nothing compared to the Swedish one. The most famous of them, without a doubt, is Betsson. This betting company has only two licenses - British and Maltese - but even that is enough to successfully promote its products. Betsson is known for its aggressive policy on the betting market, swallowing its competitors left and right. The bookmaker is focused on the northern European market, successfully competing with the strongest rival in this business - British bookmakers.
Another famous Swedish bookmaker Unibet has long gone beyond the narrow confines of its home country. It is run from Malta, but has licenses from Denmark, Britain, France, Belgium, Italy and Estonia. Primarily the company, as well as its competitor Betsson, is interested in the northern region of Europe. And it already has 9.5 million users.
A spoonful of soot for bookmakers
Sweden is a country with strong social responsibility of its population and officials. There is no doubt that they will strictly follow the rules for licensed companies. Firstly, you can not accept bets from citizens under the age of 18. It is impossible to entice players with bonus programs, not counting the first bet after registration. No credit will be given against the game. Registration would be complete, with all of the bettor's information provided.
Another problem, and this time not only bookmakers, but also bettors - too free access to Swedish players via the Internet. There are a lot of outright crooks who lure the local players who can not resist the tempting offers. Nowadays, only a big name of a bookmaker can protect a player from losing money through deception.
Betting outlook in Sweden
One of the main reasons why the Swedish pie seems so sweet to bookmakers from all over Europe is the affluence of the local population. A rather quiet and conservative country is willing to spend a lot of money on entertainment, and you can do it from the comfort of your own home, with only access to the Internet. Sweden's entire gambling market was worth $2.7 billion in 2017, and the market for the unregulated gambling sector exceeded $650 million, up 13 percent from the previous year. As across Europe, the online gambling sector is growing rapidly. And Sweden is one of the most advanced European countries in the field of new technology