Sweden’s gambling regulator the Lotteriinspektionen has issued the country’s first online gaming licenses as the country prepares to launch new gaming regulations in January.
The regulator approved 12 licenses to offer either online casino, online sports betting or both. Svenska Spel, the state-owned operator has also secured a separate license that effectively restates its position as the monopoly holder for lottery games and land-based slot machines.
The country’s former horse racing monopoly operator AB Trav och Galopp has also been issued online betting and gaming licenses.
Other new licensees include bet365 and GVC for its bwin, PartyPoker and PartyCasino brands. Nordic brands such as Casumo, LeoVegas, Kindred Group and Betsson—which has been awarded separate licenses for its Betsson, NordicBet and SverigeAutomaten brands—have also been approved.
Operators including Interwetten, Tombola, SuprPlay and white label casino operator SkillOnNet have also been cleared to enter the market from January.
The Lotteriinspektionen said that it has received 95 license applications, of which 70 are for online betting or gaming, since the application process began in August.
“Since one of the purposes of gambling reform was to achieve a high channeling it is encouraging that many bookmakers already aimed at the Swedish market will be part of the new license market by year-end,” Lotteriinspektionen director general Camilla Rosenberg said in a press release. “This is a historic day for gambling in Sweden. I am very proud that the Lotteriinspektionen staff, working in a short space of time and working with completely new legislation, has been able to process the first license applications.”
The regulator is expected to announce more licenses in the coming weeks.
