Sweden’s regulated gambling market recorded steady growth in the second quarter of 2025, with gross gaming revenue climbing 1.9% year-on-year to SEK7.02bn (€638m). Compared to the first quarter of the year, this represented a 5.9% increase, according to data published by Spelinspektionen, the national regulator.

Market Performance in Q2 2025

Online gambling remained the largest contributor, generating SEK4.63bn, up 1.4% from the same quarter last year. The figures were notable since Q2 2024 had seen elevated sports betting volumes linked to football’s Euro 2024, creating a difficult comparison. Despite that, the online sector posted gains, underscoring its dominant role in the Swedish market.

State-controlled lottery and slot machine activity delivered the sharpest rise among all verticals. This segment increased by 10.2% year-on-year, reaching SEK1.42bn. By contrast, revenue from lotteries classified as “gaming for public benefit” slipped 5.3% to SEK846m, while bingo under the same category remained flat at SEK49m.

Land-based commercial gaming, including slot machines in restaurants, contributed SEK63m, up slightly from the previous year. However, Casino Cosmopol’s final venue, which closed in April, added only SEK8m in revenue during its last weeks of operation. The early closure came after a government vote to abolish land-based casinos by January 2026, although Svenska Spel could have kept its final casino open until the end of 2025.

While revenue indicators pointed upward, concerns remain over the market’s channelisation rate, which measures how much gambling occurs through regulated operators. Spelinspektionen’s latest figures placed the overall rate at 85%, short of the regulator’s target of 90%. Online casino continues to be the weak spot, with estimates suggesting channelisation between 72% and 82%.

Industry voices have expressed alarm over the shortfall. The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) issued a letter highlighting risks to consumer protection and tax revenues. The group also criticized the scope of an upcoming government inquiry into the market, saying it would fall short in addressing the challenges.

Meanwhile, the regulator reported that nearly 128,000 people were enrolled in the Spelpaus self-exclusion program by the end of Q2, marking a 2.2% increase compared with the previous quarter.

Leadership Transition at Spelinspektionen

The quarter also brought news of leadership change at Spelinspektionen. Director General Camilla Rosenberg will step down on 31 October after eight years in the role. She has been appointed director and head of the Swedish Real Estate Agents’ Inspectorate, effective 1 November.

Rosenberg joined the regulator in 2015 and became director general in 2017, guiding the authority through Sweden’s landmark transition to a licensed online gambling framework in 2019. Her tenure also saw challenges, including a 2024 National Audit Office report criticizing limited inspections and weak follow-ups that contributed to gaps between licensed and unlicensed play.

Acknowledging those difficulties, Rosenberg emphasized that the authority has improved its oversight since re-regulation, backed by increased funding and organizational reforms.

Tributes followed her announcement. “I would like to thank Camilla Rosenberg for her meritorious work at Spelinspektionen during a time of profound changes in the gambling market,” said Claes Norgren, chairman of Spelinspektionen’s board, as reported by iGaming Business. “I congratulate her on her new position. Operations will continue as planned and at an unabated pace while waiting for a new director general to be appointed.”

Sweden’s Minister of Civil Affairs, Erik Slottner, also praised her appointment to FMI, pointing to her experience with regulatory enforcement and anti-money laundering as key assets for her new role.