The Swedish government has published the final pieces to the new legislation which will put a stop to people being able to gamble with credit cards. The authorities have said the new law will come into play from April 1st 2026 for which they hope will stop the major issue of people in debt through gambling.
The new ruling expands on the current Swedish Gambling Act rules which abolished bettors from using credit directly with licensed betting platforms. The authorities said that the previous framework had “limited scope” which left loopholes to finance their gambling through credit cards, loans as well as overdraft facilities.
When the new rules come into place next year gambling agents and licensees will be unable to process any transactions for gambling which involves credit. This extends to all borrowed funds whether that’s through third-party lenders or bank credit lines which could cause gambling harm.
Betting operators will have to follow new license laws which means blocking credit payments and also avoiding promotional advertising of any form of financial credit providers. That being said the gambling regulator in the country Spelinspektinen may give the go ahead for credit forms of gambling that benefit the public such as charity lotteries or those similar.
The legislation reflects finds from the Overskuldsattningssutredningen which is a national inquiry into gambling behaviour and over indebted people within the country. According to the Swedish Enforcement Authority Kronofogden the total consumer debt reached a record 14.7 billion dollars in January 2025. There was also a finding by the Public Health Agency that between 3% and 4% of nationals between 16-84 experienced some form of gambling issue. From that 40% was slot games and casinos.
Once the rule is in place from April, Spelinspektionen with support from Finansinspektionen (financial supervisory authority) and Konsumentverket (the consumer agency) will be giving out financial penalties as well as license suspensions to operators who don’t abide.
This is the most advanced stage yet in Sweden’s long effort to tighten its gambling credit regulations. Back in early 2024 a similar legislation failed to pass amid concerns about how “credit” should be defined and also how the law would apply to payments outside of the country. The latest bill has a broader backing and also comes an update in the Swedish Gambling Act which makes it illegal for unlicensed platforms to target Swedish players using foreign languages or currencies.
Experts opinions are divided with observers welcoming the new measures but have warned that stricter regulation could force players to offshore credit card casinos which are still able to accept all forms of credit card deposits.
Gambling policy experts feel the best way to limit harmful behaviour is with education, treatment and early intervention programs to tackle the root causes of gambling addiction.
The Sweden credit gambling ban highlights the challenge which is faced by many European regulators which is how to separate personal freedom and market competitiveness. If the laws are implemented correctly the reform could serve as a model for other jurisdictions grappling with rising gambling related debt. But experts believe that players who need help can find it long before they reach the point of financial harm.