Half of Swedes Find Licensed Sites Beneficial, Only 10% Can Identify Them

According to a survey commissioned by the Swedish Gambling Authority Spelinspektionen issued by consultancy Skopm firm, only 10% of players know how to actively identify a licensed gambling platform. Moreover, only 53% of gamblers considered playing with licensed sites to be beneficial to them.

The Survey Questioned Players’ Gambling Habits

The survey ordered by the authority responsible for ensuring the safety, legality, and trustworthiness of the Swedish gaming and gambling market questioned 1,600 adults in the country. The study focused on learning more about their gambling habits in 2021. Some of the most interesting questions were those addressing the use of unlicensed gambling websites. Data from the survey shows that only 2% of surveyed players had knowingly and intentionally chosen to gamble at unlicensed websites in 2021. At the same time, 31% of players considered proof of license as one of the most important arguments when selecting an operator online.

The disturbing 10% figure related to Swedish players who know how to tell whether a certain operator has a license or not also translates to a massive 90% total of players who have no idea how to spot an unlicensed operator. Among players who do know how to identify a licensed gaming operator, the largest number is represented by players who engage in games regularly.

The worrisome figure has remained steady on a year-on-year basis, proving the failure to educate the players on the differences between unlicensed and licensed sectors.

Last July, the same Swedish regulator surveyed 3,000 players on their online gaming habits, showing that the main reasons why gamers choose gaming sites with a license were safety, control, and security. The same survey in July 2021 showed that 7% of players who engaged in online gambling at least once every three months claimed they used a gaming site that did not show proof of being licensed.

21% of Swedish Players “Will or Might Play” with Unlicensed Sites

A total of 72% of the adult population in the country gambled in 2021, marking a slight decrease compared to the previous year. The total included 52% of players who chose to gamble in the past month as well as 38% of players who engaged in gambling in the past week prior to participating in the survey. These numbers showed a 34% YoY increase while representing the highest figure recorded in Sweden since 2013. Around 2% of questioned players stated they engaged in a form of gambling on a daily basis. Around 19% of players claimed they might cut their gambling in the context of the rising cost of living. At the same time, 21% of Swedish players said they “will or might play” with unlicensed operators in the future.

Gender-wise, male players were much more likely to have engaged in gambling in the last seven days prior to the survey, with 46% male players versus 30% female players discovered by the survey. Players based outside big cities and the elderly were more likely to have gambled in the same period.

Lotteries, Horse Racing & Bingo in the Lead Lottery games, horse racing bets, and bingo games were the top three preferred forms of gambling chosen by the Swedes. Only 2% of players considered they had gambled more than they should have, while less than 1% actively asked for help. Around 4% of players believed the industry “absolutely” takes enough social responsibility, 29% of them believed the authority “maybe” does so, 48% believed the authority “probably” does not take enough responsibility, while 18% claimed the industry “absolutely” does not take the necessary social responsibility to counteract gambling harm.

In October, the Swedish Gambling Authority reported licensed operators in the country recorded SEK 6.8 billion ($625 million) in gross gaming revenue in Q22022, marking a 4% yearly increase. At the start of December, Swedish Minister of Financial Markets Niklas Wykman revealed a new proposal that would help better protect Swedish players.