2010-09-02
Light Rain Shower
Now: 13°C
RSS-feed Subscribe via RSS


News

Betting monopoly on the way out?

Politics | 2008-12-15
More companies might be let in on the sport betting market. Photo. Wikimedia.

Sweden has a state-monopoly on providing betting. This has been criticized by the European Commission for violating the EU competition regulations. Now a public commission suggests that the monopoly should be broken up, at least partially.

Svenska spel (“Swedish gambling”) is a publicly owned company that has the monopoly when it comes to sport gambling. They have during the last decade been more and more challenged by foreign betting companies which are not allowed to open up in Sweden but offer Swedish customers their service over the internet.

Svenska Spel brings in large amounts of money to the Swedish state every year. A big part of its profit also goes to the sports movement. But the most common defense for the monopoly is that Svenska Spel is suppose to take more responsibility for people with gambling problems than the private companies. Critics say however that this is just an excuse and that the real purpose is to get more money for the state.

The commission proposes that other companies than Svenska Spel shall get the right to offer sport betting in Sweden but they also say that foreign betting sites on the internet which do not fulfill the criteria to operate in Sweden shall be blocked.

The commission wants the monopoly to remain on internet poker and casino since these are considered particularly dangerous for people with gambling problems.

Tommie Ullman

tommie.ullman@stockholmnews.com

       Print Print article

Readers' comments



Write a comment

All comments are reviewed by the moderator before they are posted. Only comments in English written in a respectable tone will be published.
Read a full description of our policy for comments.



Name:
  

Latest headlines




Question

Sweden recently decided to start taking admission fees for non-EU students starting in the fall semester 2011. What do you think of this?

News in short
TODAY
2010-09-01
2010-08-31
2010-08-30
2010-08-28

More...
Reader's comment
Stockholm Calendar
Sep 3
Sep 5 - Sep 11
Sep 7
Sep 12
Sep 16
Sep 17
Sep 19
Sep 22
Oct 8 - Oct 9
Oct 20 - Oct 22
Oct 27
Oct 29 - Oct 30
Nov 13 - Nov 14
Nov 26 - Nov 28