Since 2019, a new gaming law with a licensing system has been in effect in Sweden, which, among other things, makes it possible for commercial companies to offer online gaming to the Swedish market. A fundamental aspect of the new law was that gaming should be under public control.
Now, the Swedish National Audit Office's review shows that the Gaming Inspectorate, which was given responsibility for supervision, has significant deficiencies in its control of gaming companies.
The biggest problem is that the authority conducts too few inspections, and they are not based on a risk analysis. Moreover, when deficiencies are discovered, no follow-up is done to ensure they are corrected.
"It is particularly important to supervise forms of gaming associated with high risks. This includes commercial online gaming and betting, which should be controlled much more. It is also important to shut out illegal gaming," says National Audit Office Director Claudia Gardberg Morner in a press release.
The Gaming Inspectorate's Director-General Camilla Rosenberg shares the National Audit Office's view and points out that the period since 2019 has been tumultuous for the authority.
"We can look back on six very intense years with new framework legislation, new actors, and new tasks in a completely new regulation. Several issues are still awaiting court practice. The authority has also received increased budget allocations for 2024, which we have requested," says Rosenberg in a press release.
