Swedish parliament passes gambling bill in landslide vote

Sweden’s parliament yesterday (Thursday) approved proposed changes to national gambling laws by voting 282-19 in favour of a new bill.

Due to come into effect from January 1, 2019, the bill includes rules that cover licensing, international cooperation, responsible gambling, supervision and fees.

Operators will have to pay SEK400,000 (€38,900/$45,900) for a licence, and for companies that want to offer both online gambling and betting, this fee will be increased to SEK700,000.

Sweden intends to open the licensing process for the new laws on August 1 this year.

Parliament gave its approval to the bill after the country’s Committee on Cultural Affairs earlier this week also announced its support for the mooted changes.

However, the European Commission is still running the rule over secondary legislation, while the Swedish Gambling Authority may also opt to introduce other new rules and regulations.

Related articles: Swedish Cultural Affairs Committee backs gaming bill
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