Sweden re-regulates gambling
Sweden replaced its state gambling monopoly with a competitive online licensing regime.
On 1 January 2019 Sweden's new Gambling Act (2018:1138) took effect, ending decades of state monopoly and opening a licensed, taxed online market overseen by the regulator Spelinspektionen. Licensed operators paid an 18% gambling tax and had to meet duty-of-care and responsible-gambling rules. A central goal was to 'channel' at least 90% of play into the regulated market.
Before 2019 many operators served Swedish players from offshore without local licences. The re-regulation created a level field of licensed operators subject to Swedish consumer-protection, anti-money-laundering and advertising rules, including the national self-exclusion register Spelpaus. Channelisation — the share of play on licensed sites — became a recurring policy concern, prompting later tightening of rules as Sweden sought to keep players inside the regulated system.
Sweden's move exemplified the European shift from monopolies to licensed, taxed online markets built around channelisation and player protection.
A teaching summary, not legal advice. Dates and figures are simplified for learning; confirm against the primary sources before relying on them.