New data from Swedish horseracing monopoly AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) shows traffic to unlicensed gambling sites has increased tenfold since 2019. Sweden’s channelisation rate was likely between 70% and 82% in Q3.
Published today (4 December), the report shows the latest channelisation rate in Sweden was estimated to be between 70% to 82% in Q3. Even at the upper end of this range, this undercuts the 86% recently stated by Spelinspektionen in its October report.
ATG’s latest data is higher than its 68% to 81% estimating in Q3 last year, which the operator said suggests the rate is stabilising. It also falls some way short of the government’s target of 90% for licensed operators in Sweden.
The report tracks visitor traffic to unlicensed domains in Sweden, noting this has increased tenfold since 2019. This, ATG said, has had a significant impact on channelisation across sports betting and online casino.
Commenting on the core findings, ATG CEO Hasse Lord Skarplöth hit out at the government for its “unreasonable” demands of licensed operators. He said regulations are proving “counterproductive” and allowing the illegal market to grow.
“Unlicensed gambling is estimated to have a gross turnover of up to SEK150 billion (£10.76 billion/€12.99 billion/$13.64 billion), equivalent to the cost of running all Swedish primary schools,” Skarplöth said.
“To simultaneously make such high demands on us licensed gambling companies, while these enormous sums escape regulation and control, is both unreasonable and counterproductive.”
Channelisation worse for online casino
Other findings from the new report include that channelisation is worse within the online casino market.
The rate for online casino in Q3 ranged from between 60% up to 75%. This improves for sports betting, with channelisation between 77% and 87%.
The upper end of these ranges is based on assumption players are spending 10 times more with unlicensed sites. As for the lower end, this assumes consumers spend 20 times more with sites that are not approved in Sweden.
Of the top 20 unlicensed websites consumers visited, 18 had the same platform providers as operators within the licence system. Eight sites offered direct deposit and withdrawal options from Swedish banks, while just two appeared on Spelinspektionen’s ban list.
The most popular unlicensed website in Q3 was Unlimitcasino.com, which had 159,320 total visitors during the period. Refuelcasino.com followed with 129,540 then Luckyjungle.com on 114,329. All three sites are operated by Infiniza Limited.
Luckyjungle.com, which only entered Sweden in Q3 last year, saw the highest visitor growth. Incidentally, traffic to both Unlimitcasino.com and Refuelcasino.com has fallen since the start of 2024.
“ATG will do what we can to contribute to the fight against the unlicensed gambling companies continuing day by day, month by month and until the licensed companies have a monopoly on gambling in Sweden,” Skarplöth concluded.
