Swedish Gambling Authority launches sweeping crackdown on lotteries and phone sales practices
The Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) has kicked off a series of investigations into lottery operators and companies running games outside of the official digital systems. The latest move, announced between June 23 and June 25, is all about making sure everyone’s playing by the book under the new rules that came into effect on June 1, 2024.
One of the main things they’re looking at is how licensed operators are handling draws that aren’t done through a digital system. The authority is specifically checking whether companies are sticking to the rules on how these draws should be organized and recorded, according to the regulation known as SIFS 2024:1. The rules set out exactly how things need to be done to make sure the draws are fair and transparent.
“It is important that license holders conducting lotteries for public benefit are aware of and comply with the requirements set out in the Gambling Act, the Gambling Ordinance, and the regulations.” – Swedish Gambling Authority
As the authority explained (translated into English), “The purpose of the supervision is to check how license holders comply with the provisions of Sections 7–8 (routines) and Section 9 (drawing protocols) in SIFS 2024:1.”
Drawings that happen outside the official gaming systems are only allowed if all the conditions in the regulation are followed, to ensure full transparency and accountability.
Spelinspektionen har inlett en tillsyn för att säkerställa att kraven på rutiner och dragningsprotokoll följs.https://t.co/Ai1BQdkseA
— Spelinspektionen (@lagligtspel) June 24, 2025
Which companies have been targeted by the Swedish Gambling Authority?Some big names are part of this review, including AB Svenska Spel, Folkspel Ideell Förening, Motorförarnas Helnykterhetsförbund, Pensionärernas Riksorganisation, and Växjö Lakers Hockey.
And Spelinspektionen made it clear what comes next: “When the review is completed, we will publish the results, and in cases where the supervision results in action, we will also link to the decision under the menu item ‘Supervision & decisions.’”
Alongside this, Spelinspektionen has also issued a reminder to nonprofit groups that run lotteries for public benefit. They’ve sent out a letter to license holders spelling out the legal responsibilities for operating gambling activities correctly.
“It is important that license holders conducting lotteries for public benefit are aware of and comply with the requirements set out in the Gambling Act, the Gambling Ordinance, and the regulations,” the release added.
These nonprofit operators are expected to make sure their games are fair, trustworthy, and easy to understand. Players should be able to clearly see the rules and conditions, and the technology used must meet specific security standards.
Even physical lottery tickets need to meet safety criteria. And they must follow their license terms carefully. Spelinspektionen is also encouraging all licensees to stay up to date by checking their website, spelinspektionen.se.
Polarlotto under scrutinyIn a separate investigation, Spelinspektionen is now looking into Polarlotto Ltd, which runs sites like miljardlotteriet.se, polarlotto.com, and polarlotto.se. The review is focused on their phone sales practices, particularly whether they’re following the law that requires written consent from customers.
The review also covers whether Polarlotto is sticking to the ban on offering credit to players. On top of that, the authority is checking if the company is properly verifying players’ identities and cross-referencing them with Spelpaus.se, Sweden’s national self-exclusion list.
This all fits into a wider push by the Swedish government, which has already announced plans to review the country’s Gambling Act to improve consumer protection and clamp down on unlicensed gambling.
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