Sweden: new crackdown on offshore operators highlights online casino challenges
Sweden has once again made headlines in the regulated gambling sector with a decision that reinforces its hard line against unlicensed operators. The national gambling authority, Spelinspektionen, has issued a ban against Altacore NV, a Curaçao-based company operating through the platform wino.casino alongside other brands.
The firm is accused of deliberately targeting Swedish players without holding the required licence, in clear violation of local regulations. This conduct underscores how offshore operators continue to pose a major challenge, despite the 2019 reform being designed to strengthen state control.
Spelinspektionen’s enforcement tools
The action taken by the regulator is not an isolated episode. Spelinspektionen has, in fact, already demonstrated in the past that it can resort to more powerful tools, such as directly blocking the web domains of unauthorised platforms. However, in the specific case of wino.casino, it remains unclear whether this measure has been applied.
In an official statement, the authority reaffirmed its mission: “The Swedish Gambling Authority prioritises measures that help ensure gambling takes place with operators holding a Swedish licence.” This highlights the importance of channelling players into the regulated market.
Online casinos under scrutiny
The segment that continues to raise the greatest concerns is the online casino sector, which the Swedish government itself has recognised as the weakest link in the system. Since 2019, when Stockholm ended the Svenska Spel monopoly and introduced a multi-licence regime, the market has struggled to move consumers away from the offshore offer.
While online sports betting has achieved impressive channelisation rates, ranging between 92% and 96%, the casino vertical lags behind, with figures between 72% and 82%. Unsurprisingly, this is precisely the area targeted by the majority of blocking and prohibition orders issued by Spelinspektionen in recent years.
A goal still out of reach
The Swedish government has set a 90% channelisation target, considered the minimum threshold for ensuring the sustainability of the regulated framework. At present, the overall market average stands between 85% and 87% – a figure close to the goal but one that clearly exposes the weaknesses of the casino segment.
This gap demonstrates how regulatory rigidity can shape player behaviour, pushing a portion of the market towards unlicensed operators, who often entice users with more generous bonuses and looser limits.
Criticism of restrictions
According to several industry observers, one of the main reasons behind this migration to the grey market lies in the restrictions imposed by the Swedish government. In the years following the reform, strict caps were introduced on both bonuses and stakes. Although these measures were relaxed in 2021, their impact is still being felt.
What was intended as a consumer protection strategy may, in fact, have inadvertently increased the appeal of offshore platforms. Advocates of a more flexible approach argue that less rigid rules would help bring back part of the player base currently gravitating towards unlicensed sites.
The delicate balance between safety and appeal
The Altacore case, therefore, reopens the debate on the fragile balance every regulated market must strike: protecting consumers while ensuring that the legal offer remains attractive. Whether the Curaçao-based operator will comply with the ban remains to be seen, but it is clear that simply issuing prohibitions is not enough to guarantee compliance. The ease with which players can bypass restrictions using VPNs, or the possibility for companies to launch mirror sites, are constant obstacles that continue to test Spelinspektionen’s enforcement capabilities.
An ongoing challenge
Sweden thus finds itself facing a long-term and complex challenge. The 2019 reform certainly brought greater transparency and boosted state revenues, but the road towards a fully channelled market remains uphill.
The fight against offshore operators, as the Altacore NV case demonstrates, is far from over. To meet its objectives, Sweden will need a more balanced approach that combines firmness with competitiveness, creating an environment that is both safe for players and sustainable for licensed operators.
This article was first published in Italian on 12 September 2025.
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