Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling opposes Credit Card Ban

By Dave Sawyer, Last updated Feb 26, 2024

The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling known as BOS (Branschföreningen för Onlinespel), who represent the interests of gambling companies and game developers that target Swedish consumers, have come out and strongly opposed the Swedish Government’s proposal to ban the use of credit cards for gambling.

Should the Swedish Government implement a ban on the use of credit cards as a deposit method to fund online gambling accounts, this would follow in the footsteps of the UK who introduced such a measure, a measure that came into force on 14th April 2020.

The proposed ban of the use of credit cards to fund gambling will enhance Sweden’s endeavours to reduce instances of indebtedness stemming from gambling with credit. Under current legal statutes, licensed gambling operators bear a “duty of care” obliging them to dissuade excessive gambling.

However BOS in a Press Release issued on Friday just gone, stated the government had contradicted its prior state investigation known as the Over-indebtedness Inquiry.

While BOS had previously endorsed the Over-indebtedness Inquiry’s recommendation to maintain the allowance of credit cards for gambling in an earlier statement.

In the Press Release issued on Friday, The BOS state: “It is sad that the government does not listen to its own expertise and instead proposes a ban on credit cards when gambling, contrary to what the government investigation has concluded.”

“Interestingly, the government does not propose a corresponding credit card ban for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, which in Sweden is only offered by a retail monopoly owned and operated by the government itself.”

“The government is handing yet another competitive advantage to the unlicensed gambling market, which has a 41 percent market share when it comes to online casino. The risk is great that unlicensed gambling will overtake and gain a larger total market share than licensed gambling in 2024.”

“The government needs to change focus and show that it is on the same side as the licensed gambling companies and the safeguarding of consumers.”

---