Under the new legislation, which would come into force on 1 April 2026, licensed operators will be prohibited from accepting any bet financed with borrowed money, whether through credit cards or third-party credit providers.
Sweden’s government said the proposal seeks to build on the “limited scope” of the current credit ban within the country’s Gambling Act, which only covers credits offered or provided directly by gaming companies and gambling agents.
“You simply should not bet with borrowed money,” Sweden’s Finance Minister, Niklas Wykman, told reporters at a press conference.
Expanded legislation
Implementation of a full credit ban remains somewhat challenging, however, as a result of the new framework, licensees and gambling agents must not enable players to enter into credit agreements with other parties when purchasing the game, for example, by linking to creditors in connection with online gambling.
In addition, they must not accept gambling bets if they know that the player is funding their gambling with credit, or accept payment by a credit card if it can immediately be determined at the time of purchase that it is a credit card payment.
These stipulations, which are set to be reviewed by the legislative council, will apply to both online and retail gaming.
Alongside the new protections, licensees will also be required to take measures to counteract gambling on credit through means such as information signs in stores or clear messages online.
Swedish regulator targets influencers
Elsewhere in Sweden, the country’s gambling authority, Spelinspektionen, has conducted a major crackdown on influencers promoting illegal gambling operators.
The regulatory body initiated supervision against several influencers who were found to have marketed illegal gambling through their online channels, predominantly on the video-sharing platform Twitch.
Spelinspektionen explained in a statement that the action forms part of a wider operational plan to focus on “young people’s gambling and illegal gambling” in 2025.
“The Swedish Gambling Authority will continue to conduct supervision against influencers and other actors who conduct or promote illegal gambling under the Gambling Act,” the regulator added.
Following the supervision, Spelinspektionen confirmed that the influencers in question had stopped marketing illegal gambling.
