Swedish licensed gambling market posts 5.1% Q2 turnover rise

By jili tutorial · September 1, 2026

Swedish Licensed Gambling Market Reports 5.1% Q2 Turnover Rise

Overview: Q2 2026 Turnover Figures

Sweden’s licensed gambling operators generated a combined turnover of SEK 7.4 billion (approximately $776 million) in the second quarter of 2026, marking a 5.1% increase compared to the same period in 2025. The data, released on 26 August by Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling regulator, defines turnover as total player stakes minus winnings paid out.

The growth was driven primarily by online betting and casino, which continued to dominate the market.

Online Gaming and Sports Betting Lead Growth

Online gaming and sports betting accounted for SEK 4.96 billion in Q2 2026, up from SEK 4.63 billion a year earlier – a year-on-year increase of just over 7%. This segment now represents roughly two-thirds of total market turnover.

For context, Sweden’s licensed market recorded SEK 28.2 billion in full-year 2025 turnover, a 1.3% rise from 2024. In Q1 2026, turnover reached SEK 6.68 billion, up 0.8% year on year, with the online share climbing to 66.5% from 64.8% in Q1 2025.

Land-Based Gaming and State Lotteries

State Lotteries and Slot Machines

State-run lotteries and slot machine games generated SEK 1.43 billion in Q2 2026, a roughly 13% increase from SEK 1.27 billion in the same quarter of 2025.

Lotteries for Public Benefit

Lotteries run for public benefit contributed SEK 863 million, unchanged from the previous quarter.

Land-Based Commercial Gaming

Land-based commercial gaming – mainly casino operations hosted at restaurants – brought in SEK 73 million, up nearly 13% from SEK 64 million a year earlier. Notably, Svenska Spel’s Casino Cosmopol business, whose last venue closed in April 2025, again reported no turnover for the quarter.

Self-Exclusion and Regulatory Updates

Spelinspektionen’s Q2 report also includes data on Spelpaus self-exclusion registrations and key regulatory changes implemented during 2026.

Spelpaus Self-Exclusion Numbers

By the end of June, just under 138,000 people were registered as self-excluded via Spelpaus.se – a decline of 0.7% from the previous quarter.

New Spelpaus Technical Requirements

New technical rules for operator connections to Spelpaus, including unique operator credentials, were confirmed by Spelinspektionen on 23 April and take effect from 1 August 2026. The same regulatory package includes a ban on accepting deposits via credit cards, overdrafts, personal loans, or buy now pay later services, effective 1 May 2026.

Leadership Transition

Peter Knutsson assumed the role of Spelinspektionen director general on 17 August 2026 for a six-year term. He succeeded Johan Röhr, who had served as acting director general since Camilla Rosenberg’s departure in October 2025.

The Unlicensed Market

As of 30 April, Spelinspektionen identified 2,186 active gambling websites without a Swedish licence. Of these, 976 offered online casino only, 800 offered a combination of casino and betting, 113 offered skin betting, and just 6 offered betting only. The remainder were split between unclassified traffic and other formats.

Sweden’s overall channelisation rate – the share of gambling activity conducted through licensed operators – was assessed at 84% for 2025, down from 85% in 2024 and 86% in 2023. Betting posted the highest channelisation rate at 96%, while online casino had the lowest at 81%.