The Swedish government has formally approved a landmark amendment to the Gambling Act of 2018, introducing a comprehensive ban on gambling with credit cards.
Set to take full effect on May 1, 2026, the new legislation aims to curb rising debt levels and enhance consumer protection across the nation’s gaming sector.
Closing Loops and Enforcing Digital Firewalls
While direct credit from operators was already prohibited, the updated law closes a major loophole that allowed players to fund accounts using third-party credit cards or external loans. Under the new mandate, licensed operators must implement advanced software firewalls to automatically reject any transactions originating from borrowed funds.
Industry IT teams now face an intense year of system upgrades to meet the spring deadline. Operators failing to comply risk heavy fines from the national regulator, Spelinspektionen.
Transparency and Targeted Exceptions
Beyond digital blocks, physical betting shops must display prominent warning signs, while online platforms must deploy pop-up notifications to inform users of the credit prohibition. Despite the sweeping nature of the ban, certain “public benefit” games, such as charity lotteries and municipal registration lotteries, may be eligible for specific legal exceptions.
A spokesperson for the legislative move emphasized the priority of player safety:
“By blocking credit cards, Sweden creates a much safer betting environment… This simple change will prevent countless families from facing sudden bankruptcy.”
Experts anticipate that other European jurisdictions may soon follow the Swedish aggressive strategy to enforce a mandatory “cooling-off” period by requiring players to use only liquid assets like credit cards or bank transfers, similar to the situation in New Zealand.
