From January 1, 2025, Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s Gambling Inspectorate, will implement new fees and rules to oversee licensed businesses under the Swedish Gambling Act 2018.
The updated framework broadens the scope of gambling fees to include supervising licenses and permits issued to B2B gambling software providers. In 2022, the Swedish government decided to impose B2B license requirements on software providers serving Swedish online gambling operators. This measure, recommended by the Ministry of Finance, aims to enhance regulatory oversight.
As of July 1, 2023, Spelinspektionen introduced a fee of SEK 120,000 (€12,000) for individual software provider licenses to cover inspection costs. To ensure fairness, the Inspectorate expanded its fee structure, detailing payment terms so that all licensed entities contribute equitably to regulatory oversight.
The new fee system categorizes payments based on license type or permit, and sometimes business turnover. B2B software providers must pay an annual fee of SEK 16,500 (€1,485). Online gambling and betting operators are charged an annual fixed fee of SEK 264,000 (€23,760) per license, ensuring robust supervision of digital gambling operations.
For lotteries organized for charitable purposes, fees are tiered by turnover. Lotteries with turnovers up to SEK 3 million (€270,000) pay SEK 15,000 (€1,350) annually. Those with turnovers between SEK 3 million and SEK 10 million (€900,000) face a fee of SEK 30,000 (€2,700), while operators exceeding SEK 1 billion (€90 million) pay SEK 350,000 (€31,500) annually.
Land-based gambling operations, such as casinos, have fees based on their scale. Small-scale casinos with up to five venues pay SEK 3,000 (€270) annually. Larger operations, with over 100 venues, are charged SEK 850,000 (€76,500). Gambling conducted on ships incurs an annual fee of SEK 6,000 (€540). Bingo licenses have differentiated fees: SEK 20,500 (€1,845) annually for permanent bingo halls and SEK 1,000 (€90) per event for temporary bingo games.
Supervision fees are generally payable in advance for each 12-month period. Licenses granted for shorter periods are charged on a pro-rata basis, with a minimum fee of 1/12 of the annual amount. If a license is extended due to administrative or judicial decisions, additional fees are invoiced retrospectively.
Spelinspektionen retains the authority to reduce or waive fees in exceptional circumstances, ensuring fairness when extraordinary situations arise.
This revised fee structure reflects Sweden’s proactive approach to managing its regulated gambling market. By extending supervision to B2B software providers, the framework acknowledges the crucial role these entities play. The updated fee system ensures that supervision costs are equitably distributed among all license holders, reinforcing the government’s commitment to transparency, fairness, and consumer protection in the gambling sector.
