Sweden’s new gambling rules, which involve amending the country’s Gaming Act, will go into effect on July 1st of this year. From this date, Spelinspektionen will have the ability to purchase gambling services under a hidden identity in order to monitor the activities of gaming companies in the regulated market. The regulator will also be authorized to store and share personal data to prevent match-fixing. Additionally, gambling businesses will be required to disclose information to the police about crimes related to the gaming sector.
Previously, the Gaming Act allowed the regulator to block electronic transactions if there was suspicion of unlicensed gambling services. However, these powers have been repealed due to implementation difficulties. New regulations will be put in place, involving payment service providers to understand how stakes and winnings are conveyed to and from gambling operators identified by the authority.
To address the limited monitoring opportunities for online gaming, the government has granted Spelinspektionen the ability to conduct undercover operations. Under the new law, the regulator will be able to purchase gambling services online under a hidden identity to ensure compliance with the Gaming Act. The operator will be notified of the test purchase as soon as possible.
