This week, the Swedish Gambling Authority, also known as Spelinspektionen, provided an update on its competitive online gambling market. According to the regulator, for 2024, the local sector saw an 85% channelisation rate throughout 2024.
Background on Spelinspektionen
Spelinspektionen is a state-run agency that regulates and oversees gambling, including online casinos, in Sweden. Its main objective is to ensure that gambling is run legally, safely, and responsibly. The watchdog also issues licenses, ensures compliance, and takes action against operators if needed to protect consumers.
In addition to that, the regulator puts lots of effort into decreasing gambling-related issues. For instance, it organises and runs awareness campaigns, teams up with agencies, and offers responsible gambling practices. It also deals with unregulated operators, blocking their access to the local sector.
Channelisations Drop Slightly
In a report from September 1, 2025, Spelinspektionen reported that the channellisation rate for the Swedish gaming market reached 85% in 2024. This was a slightly lower value than the 86% recorded throughout 2023.
To put it into simpler terms, the channelisation rate monitors how much of the country’s gambling happens on online casinos licensed to operate within the country’s competitive iGaming sector. Thus, providing an overview of the gambling sector and the player preferences.
SGA’s report offers updated numbers for 2024 based on a survey of consumers and internet traffic figures. It found that the rate of players who engaged with the licensed iGaming sector was around 96% in 2024.
Channelisation Varies Between Products
In its statement, the gambling watchdog explained that the channelisation rate ranges between different gambling products. It noted that sports betting has a higher rate of players who gamble on regulated platforms than online casino users.
Camilla Rosenberg, Director General of Spelinspektionen, commented that the 85% channelisation rate shows that the majority of gambling in the country happens with licensed platforms.
“Only a small portion of traffic to unlicensed sites comes from websites that Spelinspektionen, through prohibition orders, has deemed to actively target Sweden without the necessary license, in other words, illegal gambling,” said Rosenberg.
Updated Estimation Method
For this year’s estimation of the channelisation, the gambling regulator relied on a new and updated formula. By utilising different methods, the iGaming watchdog came up with indicators that contribute different types of data to better evaluate the channelisation rate of the market.
According to the Authority, the two indicators are:
- survey of players
- measurement of internet traffic
Additional Context on the Channelisation
One of the reasons for the re-regulation of the online casinos sector was for the country to supervise gambling activities that were previously taking place on operators that were not licensed by the Authority. This way, it can also better protect consumers from the offshore websites that do not prioritise user protection.
However, to do just that, the state had to estimate just how much of its consumers gambled on Swedish-regulated platforms. Therefore, the creation of the said channelisation rate. It often contains the iGaming market, consisting of sports betting and online casinos. Prior to the use of the licensing system in 2019, the country had a channelisation rate of less than 50%.
Authority Extends Gambling Awareness Campaign
In addition to the channelisation update, the Authority announced that it will extend the duration of “With Your Future at Stake.” This is a public campaign which seeks to boost awareness of the risks of gambling and potentially prevent gambling-related issues and debt among consumers.
The public campaign is mainly targeting young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. It’s run in collaboration with the
The campaign is primarily targeted at young adults aged 18–25 and is carried out in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Swedish Enforcement Authority, also known as Kronofogden.
Continuing into 2025
After it was first introduced last year, the campaign will now extend its run into 2025. Its objective is to remind individuals that gambling can have consequences that can affect one’s personal life outside of the games.
Some of the points and facts underlined in the campaign include:
- Gambling at an early age can increase the chances of developing gambling-related issues later in life.
- Over 31,000 young people in the 18–25 age demographic have debts with Kronofogden.
- The total debt for this age group amounts to over SEK 1.8 billion.
Starting with the New School Year
In the press release, the Gambling Authority reported that this year’s campaign will kick off at the start of the school year. It will be displayed and broadcast on digital channels and social media channels in the autumn.
SGA’s Rosenberg explained that young adults can be a particularly susceptible group.
“Through this campaign, we want to reach them at the right time and provide tools so they can make informed decisions about their gambling,” added Rosenberg to her statement.
