SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Haken Hallstedt the Director General of Lotteriinspektionen, Sweden’s gambling regulator has been appointed to lead the reform of the country’s gambling framework.
Hallstedt has been charged with heading up the investigative committee, which will develop and redraft gambling legislations, with a concentrated emphasis on creating regulations, protocols and standards for online gambling services.
Sweden has faced increased pressure from the EU to develop a gambling framework in-line with European wide business policies and competition practices.
Swedish minsters have urged for the government to guarantee that the re-drafted framework will be implemented before the next General Election (scheduled for 2018).
The review undertaken by Hallstedt’s committee, will likely evaluate the role of Swedish state owned gambling operator Svenska Spel within open market conditions.
In October Lennart Kall CEO of Svenska Spel publically welcomed the governments proposed review, stating a new regulatory framework and licensing policy would mit the amount of international operators targeting Swedish consumers.
The move to re-regulate has been further supported by national media owners, who in October pledged to begin to self-regulate and implement advertising standards promoted by Sweden’s news publishing guild, Tidningsutvivarna.
