Sweden postpones licensing process to 1 August

The Swedish government has moved closer to establishing new igaming regulations, as it completed the submission of secondary legislation to the European Commission (EC).

According to Nordic Gambling, the legislation features rules that cover the whole spectrum of igaming, such as licensing, international cooperation, responsible gambling, supervision and fees.

The legislation also includes confirmation that although the regulations will not come into force until January 1, 2019, the licensing process will open on August 1 this year, one month later than the initial date of July 1.

Gaming operators that intend to apply for a licence will have to pay SEK400,000 (€38,800/$47,800), and should the company want to offer both online gambling and betting, this fee will be set at SEK700,000.

Other features in the legislation include the specification of games that can be offered under an online games licence, comprising roulette, card games, dice games, online bingo and slots.

Although there are no restrictions on betting on lower leagues and spot betting, with the exception of Swedish trotting and cantering races, the Lotteriinspektionen national regulatory body will have the ability to place restrictions on the type of game and introduce schemes to combat match-fixing.

The legislation also addresses rules regarding the use of personal data, as well as self-exclusion and both time and spending limits.

The move comes after the statutory standstill period set aside for review of the legislation by the EC and member states expired last month.

No detailed opinions were received against the initial draft proposal during the three-month window on whether the proposal would create unfair barriers to free movement of goods and services.