On March 31, 2026, Sweden’s government received a comprehensive proposal from Spelinspektionen – the licensing authority for gambling in Sweden – on how they plan to limit access to unlicensed remote gambling. The proposal includes both legal and practical enforcement measures that will aim to better limit the ability of unlicensed offshore operators to provide services to Swedish citizens.
As per the current law, enforcement actions are only allowed if the unlicensed operator is actively promoting its services in Sweden, e.g., using the Swedish language and/or providing a payment method in Swedish Krona. Therefore, enforcement is currently very challenging.
The proposal would change this and implement the “Participant Criteria.” The Participant Criteria would allow for a broader reach by including all operators offering services through their websites to Swedish residents.
As part of the Participant Criteria, there are also several technical measures that will need to be implemented:
- Geo-blocking of access from Sweden
- Issuing automatic warnings for restricted customers
- Full denial of service if a customer’s location cannot be verified
In addition to the above, further limitations would include blocking customer who attempt to circumvent the restrictions using a VPN or other mechanism.
Other means to limit access to Swedish citizens include:
- Removing Sweden from the list of countries eligible to register
- Blocking Swedish addresses, postal codes, and phone numbers that begin with +46
- Preventing transactions involving banks in Sweden
- Rejecting withdrawals or deposits through Swedish financial institutions
Operators must clearly state in their terms that Swedish users are not allowed, but regulators stress that legal wording alone is not enough without technical enforcement. In addition, all marketing accessible to Swedish audiences must be stopped.
The proposed changes aim to close regulatory gaps and create a more effective system for tackling unlicensed gambling. If implemented, Sweden would move toward a stricter, technology-driven enforcement model focused on access rather than intent.
