According to Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling regulator, estimated channelisation for online gambling fell by 1% to 84% in 2025. However, when omitting the player survey methodology used to evaluate channelisation, the figure dropped to 78%. This alternative measure relied on analyzing traffic to licensed operators and subsequent turnover projections.
The reported 84% rate signifies a decline from the 2024 assessment and an even steeper drop from the previous year’s 86% figure.
Published on June 15, the report drew on data from two main sources: a detailed player survey and an estimate based on internet traffic related to turnover. This combined methodology had first been implemented for the 2024 report.
Conducted by Verian between February and March, the player survey collected responses on recent gambling activities and whether they occurred with licensed operators. A total of 6,744 individuals participated, with 4,175 indicating they had gambled in the past year.
The report also incorporated a secondary method utilizing third-party search engine optimization and web traffic estimates for licensed gambling websites. From this data, the turnover spent in the licensed market was estimated by applying turnover-per-visit metrics from licensed operators.
Total net turnover reported by Spelinspektionen for 2025 across all licensed operators reached SEK28.2 billion ($3 billion). The non-monopoly sector, which includes iGaming and online betting, showed a turnover of SEK18.7 billion.
The player survey indicated a channelisation rate of 89% in the competitive market, while the web traffic analysis estimated it at 78%. This breakdown further revealed a 95% channelisation rate for sports betting and 68% for online casinos.
In terms of the unlicensed market, the report highlighted 2,186 active gambling websites without Swedish licenses as of April 30. The majority of these were online casinos, with 976 sites dedicated exclusively to casino games and 800 offering both casino and sports betting.
A significant portion of visits to these unlicensed sites, around 42%, involved skin betting platforms that use in-game virtual items as currency. Due to the complex nature of these platforms, which also intermingle with non-gambling services like NFTs and cryptocurrency trading, they were excluded from the primary channelisation metrics.
The survey also revealed why some individuals opted for unlicensed operators. Reasons included being self-excluded under Sweden’s Spelpaus system, the perception of better winning chances on unlicensed sites, and seeking out games unavailable on licensed Swedish platforms.
In September 2025, the Swedish government proposed substantial revisions to the Gambling Act to enhance enforcement against illegal gambling. Under Swedish law, online gambling is considered applicable only if a site is “directed” at Swedish players by utilizing local currency or language.
Lobbying from the sector prompted the government to review these proposals and introduce new regulations, instilling renewed optimism in the effort for better channelisation. A spokesperson for Spelinspektionen remarked on the government's proposed memorandum, stating, “We have brought to the government’s attention the need to amend the scope of the Gambling Act with regard to online gambling. We therefore view the investigator’s proposal positively, as it strengthens our ability to work more effectively against unlicensed gambling.”
Spelinspektionen concluded that actual channelisation rates ranged between 78% and 89%, depending on the methodology applied. The regulator will continue to report the averaged figure of 84% for 2025 as the primary benchmark. Furthermore, it recommended adopting the average of the player survey and internet-traffic estimates as the formal measure in government budget proposals while advocating for improved measurement methods, particularly regarding app traffic and better identification of unlicensed websites.
