Sweden Officially Prohibits Gambling with Credit

The parliament in Sweden has voted to widen the national ban on credit use in gambling, approving amendments to the country’s 2018 Gambling Act. The updated rules will take effect on May 1, 2026.

Until now, companies holding a Swedish License were barred from issuing credit themselves or through intermediaries. Yet customers could still take out loans elsewhere and use those funds to play. Lawmakers say that gap undermined the original purpose of the restriction. The new amendment is designed to shut it completely.

Operators Must Refuse Borrowed Funds

Under the revised framework, License holders and their agents will no longer be allowed to accept stakes if they know the money comes from borrowed sources. Card payments linked to credit lines must be declined for online transactions.

The obligation goes further than simply rejecting certain payment methods. Companies are now expected to take active steps to discourage the use of loans for gambling altogether. That may include clear notices in land-based venues as well as warnings displayed within digital games.

Regulator Calls for Immediate Compliance Review

The national regulator, Spelinspektionen, has urged all companies operating under a Swedish License to assess their internal procedures ahead of the launch date. Each business must determine what safeguards are suitable for its own operations to ensure compliance with the strengthened ban.

The measure applies across all licensed gambling activities, regardless of whether they are offered in person or online. Still, the regulator retains limited authority to grant exceptions in specific cases, particularly for organizations that operate for public benefit purposes.

Games that fall outside the country’s licensing system — such as certain municipal registration lotteries — will not be affected by the new rules.

A Step Aimed at Reducing Debt

Policymakers have framed the reform as part of a broader effort to limit financial harm linked to gambling. By cutting off access to borrowed money at the point of play, officials hope to curb the accumulation of personal debt tied to gambling activity.

With the countdown to May 2026 underway, companies active in Sweden now face the task of tightening payment controls and reinforcing consumer safeguards before the expanded ban becomes enforceable.

It comes not long after Sweden also changed how much iGaming License holders pay in supervision fees, adjusting the financial side of regulatory oversight.