Online gambling operator Kindred Group recently stated its data show problem gambling has not increased in Sweden, despite the government’s extension of temporary online gambling restrictions it implemented July 2 to thwart a possible rise in problem gambling during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The restrictions include a maximum weekly deposit limit of $582.12 for online casino players plus a limit on bonus offers. The limits originally were meant to last until the end of the year, however earlier this month the Swedish Ministry of Finance proposed an extension through at least June 30, 2021.
Kindred said the government “has not accounted for any facts that supports the need for restrictions,” and has failed to take measures to encourage players to “choose licensed operators instead of unlicensed.”
Kindred Group Chief Executive Officer Henrik Tjärnström said, ”During these seven months that the restrictions have been in place, the Swedish government have not been taking any measures to determine the level of channelization, they have not accounted for any measures against unlicensed operators in Sweden and they cannot present any notable connections between the pandemic and increased problem gambling in Sweden at licensed Swedish operators. What we can see is a lower channelization and an increased activity at unlicensed operators with zero consumer protection. That is a step in the wrong direction, and it is not the gambling policy decided by the Swedish Parliament.”
