Sweden’s Ministry of Finance has submitted a memorandum that, if passed, would be charged with providing better opportunities to combat gambling addiction for the nation’s licensees.

According to the proposal, the right to process personal data must be supplemented in order to increase the opportunities for licence holders to counteract excessive gambling and gambling abuse.

The proposal, which has been referred to numerous bodies, would see self-reported information about players’ health and finances be analysed in order to be able to take the necessary measures in a bid to “facilitate society’s collective work to counter problem gambling”.

Those that have been forwarded the memorandum include BOS, the Swedish trade association for online gambling, gaming regulator the Spelinspektionen and Uppsala and Lund universities, with all 15 having until March 7, 2023, to submit a response.

The Ministry of Finance, which is proposing that the changes to law enter into force from January 1, 2024, has stressed that its aim is to “prevent people with gambling problems, or people who are at risk of problem gambling, from being lured into gambling”.

“Through the proposal, we can ensure strong consumer protection in the gambling market and better help those who need to get out of gambling addiction,” said Niklas Wykman, Minister of Financial Markets.

“The proposal has been developed after a follow-up by the State Treasury, where they point out that gambling companies must have good knowledge of their customers in order to be able to counteract problem gambling”.

It is also proposed that gambling companies should be given the opportunity to review and analyse self-reported information about a player’s health and finances in order to counteract excessive gambling.

“It is important for gambling companies to have a good knowledge of their customers in order to be able to fulfil their responsibilities under the Gambling Act,” an MoF media communication continued.

“Processing of personal data to be able to follow the development of the players’ gambling behaviour, their finances and health is of great importance for the gambling companies’ ability to take gambling responsibility and discourage excessive gambling.”