How Do Online Casinos Adapt to New Gambling Restrictions in Sweden?

#BettingLegislation  #GambleLike_Sweden  #Casinosis_Metamorphosis 

The Swedish government proposed an introduction of new gambling restrictions in April, as it was concerned with players’ behavior during the several first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although new restrictions were heavily criticized, they were approved and online casinos had no choice but to try to adapt to them. Have they managed to do so?

Although Sweden has not been in a strict quarantine with the lockdown, the limited access to sportsbook influenced the gambling habits of Swedes. Thus, the rise of online casino betting became evident, and the government of the country has decided to implement new restrictions to prevent the further increase in massive online gambling. 

WHAT ARE THE NEW REGULATIONS?

There are only three rules, but they have a serious influence on online operators. These are:

• Set a limit on the time a player spends in a casino.
• The weekly deposit cannot exceed 5,000 SEK (which is approx. €480).
• Welcome bonus cannot be higher than 100 SEK (around €10).

ACCEPTANCE OF NEW RULES

The intent of the Swedish government to protect players during COVID-19 in such a way has been criticized by different institutions.

Thus, the country’s gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has stated that the abovementioned restrictions may encourage Swedes to choose unlicensed operators to play, especially high-rollers.

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has a similar view on the situation claiming that such protective measures can rather harm customers. Restrictions of the welcome bonus make the option of playing on unlicensed websites attractive to players. Such operators are not safe in terms of customer protection. 

“We understand that politicians seek to reassure and protect their citizens during these difficult times, but the proposed gambling restrictions could actually harm more customers than they protect. Many Swedes are already gambling on unlicensed websites and these restrictions will make unlicensed websites – which don’t apply any limits – even more attractive to them. We must remember gambling is human behavior, consumers will always make their own choices and top-down regulation rarely works. In this case, it could have detrimental or counterproductive effects by pushing more gambling onto unregulated websites,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary-General of EGBA.

RESPONSE OF ONLINE CASINOS

Despite all the criticism and warnings, the Swedish government approved new restrictions. They came into effect on July 2nd, and online operators had no choice but to follow the new rules and adapt their welcome bonus to be compliant with new regulations. 

Thus, we saw a wave of bonus updates implemented by online casinos that hold a gambling license in Sweden. Many of them simply limited their sign-up rewards to 100 SEK. 

Such a variant of a welcome bonus was chosen by Yeti Casino and LuckyCasino. Mr. Green and Williams Hill limited their sign-up bonus to 100 SEK and 1 free bet on the sportsbook. 

At the same time, several operators opted for free spins bonuses instead of a cash deal. Frank & Fred was among them with a welcome offer of 200 rotations on the Book of Dead by Play’n GO.