Sweden’s gambling inspectorate, Spelinspektionen, will receive increased funding to help it tackle illegal gambling activities.
Authorised by the Riksdag via the government’s Ministry of Finance, an additional SEK 2.4m (€200,000) has been awarded to the inspectorate’s 2023 budget to bolster the safeguarding of Sweden’s regulated online gambling marketplace.
Further funds had been allocated to the Spelinspektionen to help the authority “handle both a large influx of permit applications and important supervisory tasks”.
“We welcome these extra funds which enable further strengthened measures in the fight against unlicensed gambling, money laundering and match-fixing,” noted Spelinspektionen’s Director General Camilla Rosenberg.
Spelinspektionen stated that the funding will help it expand and add further personnel resources to already planned activities, whilst carrying supervisory and information activities on a larger scale.
The Ministry of Finance noted the growth and high revenue turnover of Sweden’s gaming industry have increased the risk of criminal actions such as money laundering and match-fixing.
Last year, Spelinspektionen secured direct powers to implement payment and IP blocks on black market websites targeting national consumers.
Niklas Wykman, Minister for Financial Markets, added: “The unlicensed gambling companies can do great damage and must be removed from the Swedish gambling market. With increased resources, the Swedish Gaming Authority’s ability to use its new supervisory tools to shut them out is strengthened.”
