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The government wants to extend the regulation that restricts the gaming market during the pandemic. The public health authority is partly critical. “We would have liked to see more,” says researcher Jessika Spångberg.
The public health authority had wanted the government to go further with restrictions on the gaming market. Stock Photography.
Two weeks after the Minister of Social Security, Ardalan Shekarabi (S), announced that the ordinance, which, among other things, restricts what bonuses gambling companies can offer, will be extended, the response of the query has reached the Ministry Finance.
And the answers are mixed. Various bodies, such as the Swedish Consumer Agency, the Swedish municipalities and regions and the National Board of Health and Welfare, are positive. Others are critical, including the Swedish Public Health Agency.
– When the proposal first arrived in June, we rejected these measures because we had other proposals that were more precise. We would have liked to see bonuses completely banned and online casino advertising banned, says Jessika Spångberg, who signed the authority’s response to the query.
The restriction includes a deposit limit of SEK 5000 at online casinos. But the limit applies to each individual company.
– You can play for 5,000 crowns in more than 70 different companies, the risk is that you jump. Will there really be a restriction? says Jessika Spångberg and continues:
– We would have liked to see more. The government could have made it sharper. But basically, it is positive that the government regards gambling as a public health problem, he says.
Another key body is the Swedish Rules Council, a government-appointed council that examines the consequences of bills for businesses.
– It is clear that this regulation is not up to par. There is no description of what the cost to businesses will be, says President Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist.
Under the law, a proper impact assessment must be made of what an ordinance or law can lead to.
– How many companies are affected? What reduced income can they count on? How does the competition change? The game market is international. The government cannot make a decision on this with an understanding of the consequences it will have for business, says Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist.
The government’s proposal
To reduce problems with gambling, the government has introduced a temporary ordinance. It entered into force on June 1 and expires in June of the next year. The regulation contains three points:
The deposit limit for games at online casinos cannot exceed SEK 5,000. The corresponding loss limit applies to ATM games.
It should be mandatory for players to set limits on playing time when playing at online casinos and ATMs.
Bonuses offered by online casinos and ATMs can amount to a maximum of 100 SEK.
