Moderaterna Party Plans to Change Gambling in Sweden

Sweden’s Moderaterna Party has laid out big changes that it would hope to implement in the gambling industry if it were to win the country’s upcoming general election. The mandate has been put forward to the Riksdag, which is the biggest decision-maker in the country. The changes would see gambling privatized in the country in what would be a major overhaul of the current regulation.

Svenska Spel to Be Split in Two 

The Swedish general election is set to take place on Sunday, September 11th, 2022. The Moderaterna Party has put together a four-party bloc that will take on the current coalition government. The leading party in the parliament is currently Social Democrats, led by Magdalena Andersson. 

As per the mandate put forward, Svenska Spel, the country’s gambling governing body, would be split into two. One part of this will become Monopoly Gaming. This will deal with keno and lottery games. The other part will become Competitive Gaming and it will deal with sports betting and other gambling units. 

An essential part of the mandate is the sale of the Competitive Gaming element. The reason for this is that Moderaterna believes that the state shouldn’t be operating a gambling business. The party looks to take a more libertarian approach to gamble. It wants the government to have less power to change gambling regulations. None of these will be able to go ahead without the approval of the Riksdag. This would be the first major change in the gambling industry in Sweden since 2019. 

Support From Within the Industry 

The mandate from Moderaterna has earned some notable support within the industry. Gustaf Hoffstedt, the secretary-general of the Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (the country’s online gambling trade association), has expressed their support for the changes. 

Hoffstedt said that they believe the proposed changes are better than the current model. They believe that privatizing the gambling market will benefit everybody. They believe that this is a better option than the government being actively involved in the market. 

There have been other notable changes put forward. These involve proposals to alter the marketing laws and the creation of a support website for problem gamblers. The party believes that operators with high levels of player protection should be able to advertise their services. 

Whether these changes come into play will depend on the outcome of the Swedish election. At the time of writing, odds would suggest that the Social Democrats are likely to remain in power, with the Moderaterna Party in a distant second. That said, a lot can change between now and the election in September. 

Liam Hoofe

Published: 11 Jul 2022

 | Updated: 13 Mar 2023

Liam is a skilled writer and journalist, highly regarded for his perceptive examination of the gambling industry. He specializes in online casinos and sports betting, and his work has been published in top-tier publications. Here at GoodLuckMate, Liam covers the latest industry news and has also authored various gambling guides, offering both beginners and experienced players in-depth analyses of games and strategies.

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