Sweden’s recent gambling reform is focused on both payments and player controls. Starting on 1 May 2026, licensed operators and gambling agents must not facilitate or permit gambling financed with credit.
What the Rule Prohibits
The rule expands an earlier restriction that prohibited licensees from offering credit themselves. The provision now also applies to cases where credit is provided by other means:
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A credit card;
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Bank loan;
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Invoice payment;
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Deferred payment product;
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Money borrowed from another person.
According to Spelinspektionen, the regulation affects all licensed gambling forms, regardless of their format. Some exceptions exist for specific public benefit lotteries. However, this does not remove the duty to take suitable measures against credit-funded play.
Credit Cards Face the Clearest Block
For online gambling, the immediate effect will be on credit card use. Operators taking payments online must disallow credit cards as a means of payment. On the other hand, gambling agents and physical sales points must explain the credit ban to customers and decide on the suitable methods for their selling processes.
The regulator has also been clear on important limits. Licensees do not have to trace the origins of every payment. Where they know or find out that payment is made using credit, such a payment should not be accepted.
Spelpaus Adds the Next Deadline
The next compliance date is 1 August 2026. Spelinspektionen has adopted SIFS 2026:3, a new regulation on checks against Spelpaus (Sweden’s nationwide self-exclusion database). Operators that are required to register players according to the Gambling Act must use their own connection credentials and the API that matches the type of check performed.
The authority has further specified that a Spelpaus check is deemed completed once it is shown whether the individual is excluded from gambling.
A Tighter Calendar for Licensed Firms
The two measures control different things. The credit ban addresses payment risk and gambling debts. The Spelpaus check focuses on the quality of self-exclusion checks. But for the operator, they’re in the same compliance loop.
That creates pressure on all fronts – payments, onboarding, risk management, and suppliers. The Swedish approach is getting more precision about what operators must be able to prove. And the question becomes whether the restrictions minimize negative effects within the licensed environment or drive users to unlicensed operators.
