Sweden Proposes Full Ban on Credit Use in Gambling
The Swedish Government has proposed stricter rules to close loopholes in its existing gambling credit ban, aiming to prevent players from using any form of borrowed funds to gamble and to limit gambling-related debt across the country.
Comprehensive Credit Ban Proposed
Although Sweden’s current Gambling Act already prohibits the use of credit at the point of sale, the ban does not extend to all forms of credit usage. At present, players may still finance gambling through third-party credit arrangements, such as loans or credit cards, provided the credit is not issued directly by the operator or its agents.
The newly proposed regulation would extend the credit prohibition across all areas of gambling payments. This includes banning operators—both online and retail—from accepting wagers funded via credit cards or any other external credit mechanisms. In addition, operators would be required to reject bets from customers known to be gambling with borrowed money.
Under the proposed legislation, gambling operators will also need to actively discourage the use of credit through their advertising—both in physical locations and online. The measure is part of a broader effort to enhance player protection by addressing financial harm caused by gambling.
The government has signalled that some lottery operators may be exempt from the proposed credit restrictions, though details on the scope of these exemptions remain limited.
Broader Push for Gambling Reform in Sweden
The credit ban proposal is the latest step in a wider initiative to tighten Sweden’s gambling regulations. In February, the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) called on the Ministry of Finance to revise the Gambling Act to better reflect modern gambling practices and address consumer protection concerns.
In April, the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) released a report urging legislative updates to eliminate loopholes in the country’s online gambling regulation. The proposed credit ban directly responds to that report by targeting an area of regulatory vulnerability: indirect or third-party financing of gambling.