Peter Knutsson, the new Director General of Sweden’s gambling regulator Spelinspektionen, has said a gambling licence comes with “a great deal of trust” and that the authority will act forcefully when operators fall short of it. Knutsson took office on 17 August 2026.
He has set four immediate priorities: effective supervision, clear regulations, stronger action against illegal gambling, and preventative measures to reduce excessive and harmful play.
His first public comments come as the Swedish government opens an inquiry into gambling among children and young adults, with mandatory limits for players under 24 among the measures under review.
Licences and responsibility
Knutsson put the licence itself at the centre of how Spelinspektionen will deal with the market.
“Whoever receives a licence to offer gambling also receives a great deal of trust. Such trust must be taken very seriously,” Knutsson said. “Offering gambling is not only a right, but also a responsibility.”
He described player protection as the base of the regulator’s work.
“For me, player protection is the foundation of a well-functioning and sustainable gambling market. High quality and responsibility should characterise the work, as well as a consistent focus on caring for players.”
On how Spelinspektionen will work with licensees and other stakeholders, Knutsson said the authority would stay open to dialogue while enforcing the rules.
“We will listen and, at the same time, be clear about what applies and act forcefully when necessary.”
From advertising ombudsman to regulator
The government appointed Knutsson on 26 March 2026 for a six-year term running until 31 August 2032. Financial Markets Minister Niklas Wykman announced the decision.
“The Swedish gambling market shall be characterised by high security and strong consumer protection, and Spelinspektionen has major responsibility there. I am pleased that Peter Knutsson, with his deep knowledge of consumer matters, has accepted the role as director general,” Wykman said at the time.
Knutsson joins from Reklamombudsmannen (RO), the Swedish advertising industry’s self-regulatory body, where he had served as ombudsman since August 2024. Before that, he was a head of unit at the Ministry of Finance, where his remit included gambling policy.
He is a lawyer by background with more than 20 years in management roles. He has also worked for the European Commission and as an adviser to Finansinspektionen, Sweden’s financial supervisory authority.
The advertising experience is relevant to his new post. Sweden’s Gambling Act requires gambling marketing to be moderate, and marketing aimed at younger audiences is one of the areas the new government inquiry will examine.
Leadership handover
Knutsson succeeds Camilla Rosenberg, the first Director General of Sweden’s re-regulated gambling market. Johan Röhr led Spelinspektionen as acting Director General before Knutsson’s arrival and oversaw the handover.
Sweden’s licensing system took effect on 1 January 2019 under the Gambling Act (Spellagen). It opened online casino and betting to licensed commercial operators, introduced the national self-exclusion register Spelpaus, and limited bonuses to a player’s first gambling occasion with a licensee.
Inquiry into youth gambling
Knutsson takes charge as the government examines tighter protections for younger players. The inquiry will look at stricter marketing rules, mandatory play and spending limits for people under 24, and restrictions on the types of gambling products available to younger consumers.
Minister Elisabet Lann said risky gambling among young men has doubled in recent years and now affects one in five young men.
Age-based advertising rules are also under scrutiny in other European markets. In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority recently banned a Midnite TikTok ad over an AI character who appeared to be under 25.
The inquiry is at the review stage, and no new limits for under-24s are in force. If they are adopted, Spelinspektionen would supervise how licensees apply them.
What operators should watch
Knutsson’s term runs through the period in which the inquiry’s proposals would be debated and, if approved, put into force. His four priorities give licensees an early indication of where the regulator’s attention will fall: supervision of existing licence holders and enforcement against unlicensed sites targeting Swedish players.
The practical test for operators will be how “act forcefully when necessary” translates into sanction decisions in his first year, and whether limits for under-24s move from inquiry to law during his tenure.
Source: Spelinspektionen
