Casinos Without Swedish License

Most active Swedish players know already that as of January 1, 2019, the new Swedish Gaming Act came into force prohibiting casinos without a license issued by Spelinspektionen from operating in the directly in the country. So, according to the government legislation, in order for a casino to operate in the Swedish market, it now needs to hold a valid Swedish gaming license. According to the government, Swedish players need to play at Swedish licensed casinos only. Players will be “protected”, valuable tax revenue will be collected, and undesired competition will slowly be eliminated – at least this is the plan as we understand it. But, despite of all the noise, the reality is that it is not criminal or illigal by any measurement, for Swedish players to register and play in online casinos that do not hold an official casino license in the country. Nobody can forbid a Swedish national to register and whatever global site he or she pleases. Of course, they should not do so blindly and will have to seek reputable brands that have built their names for a long time and have a reputation of treating Swedish players well. 

 

The Best Casinos Without Swedish License

You can still enjoy your favorite casino sites, even if they are not licensed by the Swedish Gambling Authority. We have created a list of the top most-reputable and secure sites which Swedish players can play in, at their own risk. We have gathered a list of the best casinos without  Swedish gaming license. You can find our top choices below. Since more and more casinos apply and get a license granted, we will regularly update our list so make sure to bookmark this page and come back regularly to check for new developments.

[table “” not found /]

 

OK, so what is all the fuss about? We try to summarize. Read on to find out what is the difference between playing in licensed casinos versus casinos without a Swedish license and how it affects you as a player.

 

Can you play at a casino without a Swedish license? 

Yes, you absolutely can! Currently, the new laws are targeted against casinos that do not hold a valid Swedish license and there is no law which specifically prohibits Swedish players from accessing non-licensed sites. According to the law, players have the right to register and play at a casino without a license in Sweden, even if they are in the “self-suspension” list.

It is important to remember, however, that there are different rules that apply if you are playing at a licensed casino versus an unlicensed operator. The game plan has not only changed for the gaming operators since January 1, 2019 but also for us players. Below we have examined the different rules which apply to approved gambling sites versus unlicensed ones.

 

Advantages of Casinos Without a License

Even though certain gaming operators might not be legally operating in the Swedish market, players can still benefit from choosing such casinos. Here you will find the biggest advantages of playing in casinos without a license.

 

Unlimited casino bonuses

As mentioned earlier, the new gambling regulation allows Swedish casinos to only offer one bonus per player. This means that you will no longer be able to enjoy bonuses and offers after your initial welcome bonus. Unlicensed casinos, however, are still able to offer their customers a full range of bonuses such as VIP programs, free spins, second deposit bonus cashback and much more.

 

No waiting time between spins

As per the new rules, providers will have to set a limit of at least 3 seconds between spins on slot machines, which may be quite frustrating to some players who are used to the fast-spinning casino action. Thankfully, unlicensed casinos do not need to comply with this rule so players who like to play slots quickly will still be able to enjoy playing their favorite slots in a fast-pace.

 

No need for deposit or loss limits

The new gambling laws require players to set a deposit and loss limit, which restricts the amount of money they can deposit in their account in a set period of time and the amount that they can lose while gambling. Once these limits are set, they cannot be changed in any way. This means that if you reach those limits, you will not be able to continue playing until the next period starts. Unlicensed casinos do not have to comply with this requirement, which means that players are free to bet and deposit as much as they wish.

 

No BankID

Swedish players joining licensed casinos are now obliged to verify their accounts using BankID. There are however some Swedes who do not have a BankID or Mobile BankID which means they would not be able to play at licensed casinos.

 

No Self-Suspension

The new laws allow players to enter themselves in spelpaus.se which will effectively block them from playing and joining themselves in all licensed Swedish casinos. This might not necessarily be a negative, especially for people who have a gambling addiction, however, there are cases when players have accidentally blocked themselves or have done so and later regretted it. After entering the “game-break”, players are no longer able to play in casinos until the break period is over and no licensed casinos will accept them as players. Casinos without a license, however, do not participate in this self-suspension list and will accept players, even if they are registered on a gambling break.

 

How Does a Casino Without a License Work?

As mentioned above, it is still perfectly legal for Swedish players to register and play in gaming sites that do not hold a casino license. Such websites are located outside of the country and have chosen to not apply for a license for a number of reasons, such as the application fee or the imposed revenue tax. There also might be other reasons such as the absence of Swedish support or that the site is not available in Swedish.

 

How Does a Casino Get a Swedish License?

All gaming sites that want to operate on the Swedish market and target Swedish players need to apply for a Swedish gaming license. As of August 1, 2018, casinos have been able to apply for the gaming license with the Swedish Gambling Authority – Spelinspektionen, if they wanted to continue to operate legally in Sweden after January 1, 2019. To be granted a license, all casinos need to fulfill a number of requirements:

• They should not offer the option to play on credit
• Only one bonus per person should be available
• Players should be able to see their game history
• They should promote responsible gambling
• Self-suspension must be available, both at the casino and via the national system
• Verification of an account using BankID is mandatory before withdrawals can be made
• Loss and deposit limits should be set
• Advertising should be carried in moderation
• Information and customer support must be available in Swedish
• Self-tests for problem gambling must be available

 

Disadvantages of Casinos Without a License

While there are some advantages of playing in a casino without a license, keep in mind that there are certain drawbacks as well. These casinos are not regulated within the country, and you will have to check for yourself if the casino site is reputable and safe. To help you in your choice, you can be sure that all casinos you find on our website are checked, secure and safe and you can register in them with confidence.

 

Not regulated within the country

One of the disadvantages of casinos that do not hold a Swedish license is that they do not meet the requirements set by the country. Players who opt to play in such casinos will not be prosecuted by law or get a fine, however, they should be aware that they register at such sites at their own risk.

 

Limited payment methods

One of the bigger disadvantages of playing in a casino without a license is the limited payment options. Trustly cannot be used as the supplier itself blocks payments to and from casinos that do not have a license in Sweden. BankID cannot be used as well. There are many Swedish banks that block deposits to foreign casinos that do not hold a valid Swedish license. Players can still use payment methods such as credit cards, Skrill or Neteller nevertheless.

 

No Swedish language or currency (Not always!)

Since the new regulation came into power this year, all casinos which do not hold a license were obliged to remove the Swedish language from their sites and stop accepting deposits in SEK. This means that players will have to choose a different currency for their deposits, and will not be able to receive support in Swedish.

 

Longer Withdrawer Times (Sometimes)

Since there are limited payment options in casinos without a valid license, players might have to wait for slightly longer than usual to receive their withdrawers – usually 1 to 3 business days. However, many reputable brands such as MelBet offer immeadiate withdrawal times and this is becoming more and more of an industry standards, as it gives casino brands a competitive edge. 

 

Taxation

Players playing in licensed casinos can get their winnings tax-free. Players who choose an unlicensed casino do not have to pay tax on their winnings in EU casinos as well, however, if the casino is located outside of the EU, they will need to pay a 30% income tax.

 

Why Was the Swedish Gaming Act Created?

Casinos have always been a popular form of entertainment, and nowadays are one of the most popular past-times for people. There are numerous online casinos nowadays and the market is getting bigger and bigger.

Gambling at casinos has a completely different meaning today than it had in the past, and with this comes a great amount of joy and pleasure. As with most other things, there are certain problems that arise when it comes to gambling. Because there are so many online casinos to choose from, and many different payment methods and processes, this has become a rather hit area for fraud, money laundering, and gambling problems.

These are precisely the things that the Swedish government wants to put an end to, as well as to make it easier for players to keep track of their losses and increase consumer protection. For this reason, identification became a must for Swedish licensed online casinos, and the number of bonuses and free spins that will attract more players to the world of gambling has been reduced.

The Swedish gambling monopoly has for a while been the subject of criticism by the European Commission. Many people have considered that the country has lost control of the gambling market, so the Swedish government finally concluded that the monopoly was not a working strategy in 2018 and that they are losing shares to the international operators.

Since the state has started to see an influx of Swedish players into casinos outside Sweden, the state has realized the constant loss on possible tax revenue. Due to this fact, the Swedish Parliament chose to vote on the new gambling bill in June 2018, which required all casino operators in Sweden to apply for and obtain a Swedish gaming license.

This has been greeted with mixed feelings by the Swedish citizens. While some people welcomed the new laws, others have had their objections and believe that the bill is limiting their freedom of choice. You can see here the most popular opinions and points for and against the regulation here.

 

Conclusion

Swedish players can play whereever they please. Common sense tell us to use caution before selecting a casino of choice, but this is true pretty much for any other activity that we engage at. In fact, casinos without license give players a much greater variety of bonuses and offers to keep them interested.