Sweden’s gaming market declined in 2013 for the third straight year as weak consumer spending and unlicensed foreign Web sites continue to affect results.
Gross turnover was down 0.3 percent, according to national regulator Lotteriinspektionen, which said unlicensed sites siphoned off more than SEK2.3 billion in revenue (US$356 million) while household spend on gambling amounted to only 2.64 percent of disposable income.
“It’s a subdued demand for games that we see with a few exceptions such as betting and some lottery services, a pattern familiar across the rest of Europe,” said Håkan Hall Bergstedt , director general of Lotteriinspektionen.
State operator Svenska Spel was the top revenue-generator, followed by Casino Cosmopol, ATG, National Lotteries and Svenska Postkodföreningen.
“We see a further technology shift in gambling, from the personal computer to mobile and tablet while the traditional venues continue to lose ground,” Bergstedt said. “Once fully restructured, we expect to see an increase in demand again.”
