Sweden Proposes Ban on Gambling with Credit at Online Casinos
The Swedish Ministry of Finance has submitted a bill proposing a ban on gambling with credit at online casinos. If passed, the ban would take effect on April 1, 2026. Previously, the ministry also submitted a bill to ban credit card payments for gambling.
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, the Ministry of Finance in Sweden submitted the new bill at the request of the legislative council. The bill aims to prevent players in Sweden from gambling on credit at legal online casinos.
The introduction of the ban is intended to lead to a safer and more sustainable gambling market. The government also wants to reduce the risk of excessive debt and protect players from financial problems. If the bill is passed and comes into effect on April 1, 2026, providers will be prohibited from:
- Allowing players to enter into credit agreements with other parties when purchasing games, for example, by linking to lenders in the context of online gaming.
- Accepting gambling bets if they know that the player is financing the bet, or gambling in general, with credit.
- Accepting credit card payments if it is immediately clear at the time of purchase that it is a credit card payment. This applies both online and in physical locations.
Current gambling legislation only prohibits the provision of credit by the gambling companies themselves.
Similarities with Previous Bill
In February of last year, the Ministry of Finance in Sweden already submitted a bill to implement a ban on credit card payments. At the time, Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling authority, expressed its support for the bill. Several months before the bill, the regulator had already called for a ban on gambling with credit cards.
Nevertheless, Spelinspektionen wanted more clarity on the regulatory changes, including the classification of the term ‘credit’. The regulator has not yet commented on the new bill.
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