Approximately 18% of Swedes played online casino games in 2025, while 24% placed online sports bets during the same period, according to a survey by Swedish affiliate Casinofeber published this week.
The study surveyed 3,463 individuals and analysed 1,004 active iGaming players, split between 501 casino respondents and 503 betting respondents. Fieldwork ran between 3 and 17 July 2025.
Player Demographics and Spending
Slots remained the most popular casino product, selected by 49% of casino players. Among sports bettors, football led all categories, with 63% having bet on the sport in the past year.
The two verticals showed distinct demographic profiles. Betting skewed more heavily male at 62%, while the casino segment was closer to an even split at 55% male. Players in both groups were concentrated in the 30s-to-40s age range and predominantly in full-time employment.
Spending was moderate. Most players reported monthly outlays below SEK 99 (approximately $10) or in the SEK 200–999 range (up to approximately $110). Only 17% of casino players and 10% of betting players reported monthly spend of SEK 1,000 or more.
Unlicensed Operator Exposure
The survey’s most operationally significant finding for the regulated market concerns the black market. A total of 65% of online casino players said they did not know how to determine whether an operator held a Swedish licence. Separately, 18% admitted to having used unlicensed gambling sites.
The figures align with Sweden’s regulated market performance data, which has shown modest growth as channelisation pressures persist. Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority, recorded an 85% channelisation rate for 2024, meaning roughly 15% of gambling expenditure flows outside the regulated framework.
Bonus mechanics generated friction for a segment of players. Around 35% of casino players had used bonuses, and 27% of those encountered problems — primarily unclear terms and conditions and complications when withdrawing winnings. Slightly more than half described withdrawal processes as straightforward.
Regulatory Context
The survey was conducted against a backdrop of tightening regulatory activity. The Swedish government appointed Erik Eldhagen as state secretary with oversight responsibility for gambling regulation, working under financial markets minister Niklas Wykman. Planned reforms include extending the scope of gambling legislation to target offshore operators and a scheduled ban on gambling funded by credit, set to take effect in April 2026.
Separately, Hasse Lord Skarplöth, the outgoing CEO of Swedish horse racing operator ATG, has called on Sweden to consider a differentiated tax model that would spare racing betting from the rate increases applied to other verticals, citing similar reforms introduced in the United Kingdom. ATG reported revenue declines in 2025 as the higher tax environment weighed on the operator’s results.
The combination of a substantial unlicensed market share, limited consumer awareness of licensing requirements, and ongoing tax pressure on regulated operators presents a structural challenge for Spelinspektionen as it looks to strengthen channelisation. The credit gambling ban and expanded enforcement powers are the immediate policy levers; their impact on the 15% outside the regulated system will be a key indicator of the framework’s effectiveness when Nordic regulatory enforcement next reports updated channelisation data.
Source: Casinofeber
