Sweden credit gambling ban to be fully effective by April 2026

The blanket ban could include exceptions, however, for gambling products specifically aimed at providing public benefit. The Swedish government has published the full text of legislation that imposes a blanket ban on using credit for gambling. It has confirmed the new rules will come into effect from 1 April 2026.

In the bill, the government set out its proposal for a total ban on gambling with credit cards. The Swedish Gambling Act already prevents players from using credit to gamble with licensed operators.

However, the incoming bill takes this a step further, with the government having previously said that current regulations had “limited scope”. An extension of the ban would effectively close a loophole that currently allows people to use borrowed money to gamble.

From next April, licensees and gambling agents will be banned from processing transactions that involve any form of credit. This will extend to credit agreements with other actors, such as loan agreements and bank overdrafts, where they may be misappropriated for the purpose of gambling.

Licensees and agents would also be required to take measures to counteract gambling with credit. This could include blocking credit card payments and not promoting third-party lenders to customers.

However, the government said regulator Spelinspektionen could make certain exceptions to the credit ban. This may cover licensed operators that run gambling for the specific purpose of public benefit, like charity lottery

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“The requirements shall apply to all forms of gambling subject to licensing and regardless of how the game is provided,” the government said.

Sweden aims to tackle gambling debt
The extension of the ban is aimed at tackling a rise in gambling-related debt in Sweden. In the bill, the government referenced the Överskuldsättningsutredningen — an investigation into credit use for gambling and over-indebtedness

Kronofogden, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, which said debt for consumers in the country had reached a record SEK138 billion ($14.7 billion) in January 2025, is also referenced.

The bill also highlighted a survey by the Public Health Agency on “Health on Equal Opportunities” in Sweden. This found between 3% and 4% of the population aged 16-84 experienced some degree of gambling problem. Those who played slot machines and casino games in the past 12 months accounted for 40% of these people.

Should the bill come into effect as expected, regulator Spelinspektionen would be charged with overseeing its enforcement. It would have support from both the Finansinspektionen financial supervisory authority and Konsumentverket consumer agency.

For those that fall foul of the new rules, Spelinspektionen would have expanded powers to administer penalties. These could include suspension, financial penalties and, in the more serious cases, revoking a licence.

Sweden tries again with extended credit ban
With the bill being published, this is the closest Sweden has come to extending its ban on gambling with credit. The government has tried and failed on several occasions to expand the regulation that was first introduced in 2019.

In February last year, it put forward similar legislation, again with a focus on credit from outside licensees. Spelinspektionen was supportive of the legislation, having itself called for a full ban on credit card gambling a few months prior.

However, the regulator also urged more clarity over the proposed rule changes. Concerns included how the term “credit” was classed. Ultimately, the bill did not pass into law, but the latest effort looks more promising.

Elsewhere, the Swedish government last week published a memorandum updating its gambling act to make all unlicensed operators illegal under new rules. A loophole previously enabled operators to target players in English and by using euros instead of the local currency.

While stakeholders have welcomed the changes, some have said this update will not be enough to solve dropping channelisation rates in the market.