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31st August, 2011 :: 19:37:38
Source: Casinos Online
Sweden 's political parties hot up the debate on market liberalization & re-regulation
While online gaming in Sweden is restricted to state monopoly Svenska Spel , which offers lotteries, casino games, bingo, poker & sports & horse wagering via both internet & mobile channels, the countryâEUR™s politicians have again voiced their opinions on liberalization of the market that would see it include foreign operators amongst other proposals (see previous report).
Sweden âEUR™s Social Democrat MP, Peter Johnsson , has spoken out on reforming & re-regulating Sweden's gambling market at the Svenska Spel-sponsored Spel Akademin gaming conference held in Visby, Sweden.
âEURњWe have a market that is regulated but that does not work,âEURќ said Johnsson, âEURњWe must put our foot down, we want a market that incorporates the other companies that are perceived as illegal in today's market.âEURќ
Timed to coincide with the conference address, Swedish newspaper Expressen carried an open letter on the subject written by Social Democrat MP's Tommy Waidelich & Berit Högman whose proposal on re-regulation of a system that they say "was created when gambling meant little more than buying occasional lottery tickets or a raffle in a public park".
The Social Democrats latest proposal towards reform includes:
- A licencing system to be made available to foreign operators who would be taxed on their profits & would fall under Swedish supervision & requirements.
- Stop unlicenced operators by instituting an effective advertising ban instead of blocking websites & prohibiting banking transactions. Expressen.se said unlicenced foreign gaming operators pay upwards of half a billion dollars on advertising in Swedish publications & internet sites that target Swedish citizens.
- All eligible operators be given the opportunity to enter the gambling market.
- State-owned gambling be permitted to compete in foreign markets.
- Operators to be taxed at a similar level to other European countries.
- Payments to players to be regulated by the State.
- A Gambling Authority developed with adequate resources to coordinate permits, inspections & problem gambling initiatives. Said Authority would determine permissible games & conditions for any form of gambling as well as conduct effective games supervision with the backing of the State's courts & have a mandate to withdraw licences & effect penalties.
- Clearer requirements for gambling operators' responsibilities e.g. age verification & limits.
- A problem/responsible gambling programme funded by the gaming industry.
Long-time state-run monopoly Svenska Spel delivered 4.7 billion to the Treasury in 2010 & the Social Democrats believe that a licensing system incorporating foreign operators could bring at least the same in tax revenues & more in the form of taxes on winnings to the State's coffers.
In April 2011, TheLocal.se reported that âEURњalthough there are no official figures, it is thought that some one million Swedes use foreign websites for betting, & spend several billion kronor in the process."
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