During the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Swedish Gambling Inspectorate, or Spelinspektionen, introduced loss limits and bonus restrictions in an effort to reduce problem gambling. An interim report on the impact of the temporary limits revealed both weaknesses and strengths.
Swedish authorities imposed three limits from July 2020 to November 2021: a weekly deposit/loss restriction of SEK 5,000 (US$530), a curb on bonus offers to SEK 100 for commercial online gambling, and a mandatory login time limit for online games.
In its assessment, the Inspectorate indicated that other elements prior to and during the pandemic, blurred the impact of the temporary restrictions. These included re-regulation in 2019 and a new licensing procedure.
Still, for many players the SEK 5,000 limit proved too high, and that in some cases this meant those gambling “in an unhealthy” way but failed to reach the limit. In any case, the limits drew broad support by players.
A survey of 4,178 people showed that 60 percent supported the temporary measures, while in a separate study, 52 percent of the state operator’s customers favored the provisions.
The authority said the bonus offers can result in problem gamblers playing longer. At the same time, live betting “clearly increased the pace of the game,” requiring stricter limits for both wagering and casino games.
However, the Inspectorate reminded people that problem gambling rates in the country remained stable during the lockdowns.
A study by Stockholm University found that there “was no increase in either online gambling or problem gambling” during the initial phase of the pandemic. On the other hand, a study by Lund University researchers revealed that those with a history of problem gambling felt the temporary measures had reduced their betting.
