• The Swedish government has finalised new legislation that will impose a blanket ban on using any form of credit for gambling, with the new rules set to take effect on 1 April 2026.
• The new law significantly extends the existing Swedish Gambling Act, closing a loophole and prohibiting players from using third-party credit, including credit cards, personal loans, and bank overdrafts.
• Licensed operators will be required to take active measures to prevent gambling on credit, which will include the technical blocking of credit card payments.
• The move is a direct response to rising consumer gambling debt in Sweden and public health data showing a strong link between credit-fuelled play and problem gambling.
• The national regulator, Spelinspektionen, will be given expanded powers to enforce the credit gambling ban, including the ability to issue fines and revoke licences for non-compliance.

A ‘Blanket Ban’ on Gambling on Credit

The Swedish government has published the final text of a new law that will introduce a comprehensive “blanket ban on using credit for gambling.” The strict new rules, which will apply to all forms of licensed gambling, are scheduled to come into force on 1 April 2026.

This move represents a major extension of the current Swedish Gambling Act. While licensed operators in Sweden are already prohibited from offering credit directly to their customers, the new law closes a significant loophole by aiming to prevent players from using any form of third-party borrowed money to fund their gambling.

The Rationale: Tackling Gambling Debt

The government has made it clear that the primary driver for the new legislation is the desire to tackle rising levels of consumer over-indebtedness and its link to gambling-related harm. The bill explicitly references data from Kronofogden, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, which reported record levels of consumer debt in January 2025.

It also cites a survey from the Public Health Agency, which found that between 3% and 4% of the population experience some degree of gambling problems, with players of online slots and casino games being disproportionately affected.

New Obligations for Licensed Operators

The new law places a significant new compliance burden on all licensed operators and their gambling agents. They will be legally required to take active measures to “counteract gambling with credit.” This includes, but is not limited to, the technical blocking of all credit card payments.

Enforcement of the new credit gambling ban will be overseen by the national regulator, Spelinspektionen, which will be supported by the country’s financial and consumer protection agencies. The regulator will have the power to issue severe penalties for any breaches, up to and including the revocation of an operator’s licence. The bill does, however, allow for potential exceptions for public-benefit gambling products like charity lotteries.

Part of a Wider Regulatory Tightening

This ban on credit for gambling is not an isolated event. It is the second major piece of legislative reform for the Swedish gambling market to be finalised in recent weeks. It follows another new law, also set to take effect in 2027, that will radically expand the scope of Sweden’s enforcement against the black market.

Taken together, these moves represent a comprehensive and aggressive tightening of Swedish gambling regulation. The government is simultaneously making it harder for illegal operators to function while also imposing stricter player protection and payment rules on its own licensed operators. For the industry, the message is clear: the compliance bar in Sweden is being raised significantly higher.