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Spelinspektionen formally reported unlicensed online iGaming companies to the Swedish authorities on March 31, 2026. The document includes the accurate administrative and technological steps that unlicensed gambling providers must take to restrict Swedish citizens. This report directly supports ongoing legislative efforts to amend the current Swedish Gambling Act and change the legal definition of illegal gambling. The regulatory body explicitly designed the report to remain technology-neutral while providing the government with a clear picture of available enforcement tools.
The Old Targeting Rules
Previously, the Swedish Gambling Act relied on a specific legal concept called the “directional criterion” to define illegal gambling activity. Under this legal framework, Spelinspektionen could only fine unlicensed operators if they actively targeted the Swedish market. The regulator required concrete evidence of this targeting to initiate any enforcement actions. Accepted evidence included the operator using the Swedish language on their website or marketing materials. Another required piece of evidence was the explicit listing of the Swedish krona as an accepted payment currency on the platform. This legal requirement severely limited Spelinspektionen’s enforcement capabilities against foreign websites that did not display these specific local markers.
The New Participation Rules
Investigator Marcus Isgren led a formal review of the national gambling legislation last year. In September, Isgren officially proposed amending the Gambling Act to remove the directional criterion entirely. Isgren proposed replacing it with a new standard called the “participant criterion.” Under this proposed legal definition, the government considers an online gambling service to be operating in Sweden if residents within the country can participate. The operator’s intent to target the local market is no longer a required legal factor for enforcement.
Blocking Access with Technology
Spelinspektionen mandates several distinct technical barriers for unlicensed operators. Unlicensed platforms must utilize geo-blocking software to identify and restrict access from the region. Furthermore, websites must display automated stop messages to users attempting to access the platform from Swedish territory. Operators must completely deny site access if a user’s geographical location remains hidden or undetermined by the software. This rule explicitly applies to users employing technical solutions to circumvent regional barriers and mask their actual physical location.
Stopping New Account Registrations
The regulator outlined specific data points that operators must block during the customer onboarding process. First, gambling websites must entirely remove Sweden from the drop-down country selection menus used during account registration. Second, internal database systems must automatically reject any registration attempt containing a Swedish residential address. Third, platforms must block the entry of any specific Swedish postal codes into their systems. Fourth, registration must be denied for any user providing a telephone number utilizing the Swedish +46 international dialing code.
Banning Local Bank Payments
Spelinspektionen detailed strict limits on payment processing channels to prevent capital flow to unlicensed entities. Unlicensed gambling platforms must block all incoming bank transfers from Swedish financial institutions. They must also reject credit or debit card payments processed through institutions requiring a Swedish electronic identification. Additionally, operators are prohibited from processing outbound withdrawal payments to any Swedish bank account. Systems must identify and block these specific outbound transactions by flagging International Bank Account Numbers that begin with the country code “SE”.
Changing Contracts and Marketing
The report dictates that operators must update their official terms of contract. These legal documents must explicitly state that individuals located in Sweden are excluded from utilizing the gambling services. However, Spelinspektionen made it clear that modifying the contract’s terms on their own is legally insufficient in the absence of matching technical obstacles. Additionally, the regulation mandates that operators keep themselves from using any marketing or promotional channels that are accessible to Swedish consumers. All of these administrative, financial, and technical procedures must be followed by operators for both new registrations and player accounts that have already been created.
Source: spelinspektionen.se
