Spelinspektionen, Sweden's government agency responsible for gambling regulation and supervision, has recently adopted a more penalty-driven regulatory approach, particularly regarding its anti-money laundering (AML) enforcement. This shift is outlined in a report commissioned by the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) and produced by law firm Nordic Legal.
The findings indicate a stark contrast between the oversight tactics of Spelinspektionen and those employed by comparable Swedish regulatory bodies. "The SGA is more heavy-handed and less focused on dialogue or collaborative problem-solving compared to other Swedish authorities," noted BOS Secretary General Gustaf Hoffstedt, explaining the rationale for commissioning the report. He advocates for the Swedish Gambling Authority to align its practices more closely with those of other government entities to enhance the licensed gambling market in Sweden.
The Nordic Legal report assessed Spelinspektionen against the Financial Supervisory Authority (FI), the Stockholm County Administrative Board (Lst Stockholm), and the Swedish Schools Inspectorate in three key areas: AML oversight, the application and extent of sanction fees, and evaluations of the suitability of owners and senior managers.
Unlike FI and Lst Stockholm, which use a system-level, risk-based methodology for AML supervision, Spelinspektionen has shown a tendency towards sample-based and customer-case driven approaches. The law firm reviewed 12 AML-related decisions made by the authority since 2021 and discovered that 11 of those decisions relied on small samples of five to 15 customer files, often neglecting to consider the operator’s overall risk assessments and policies.
The report also highlights that Spelinspektionen frequently imposes substantial penalties. During the review period from 2022 to 2025, out of nine examined decisions, seven resulted in fines at or exceeding 50% of the legal maximum, with two fines approaching nearly 91% and 100%. In contrast, FI's sanctions for significant banking cases typically ranged from 20% to 27% of the maximum penalty, while Lst Stockholm imposed smaller fines, although it occasionally levied heavier penalties for severe violations.
Recently, Spelinspektionen reaffirmed its stringent stance by imposing financial penalties amounting to SEK4 million ($401,010) on the gaming division and SEK40 million on the sports betting operations of the Hillside Group. The agency declined to comment on the findings of the report when approached for a response.
