Sweden’s parliament, the Riksdag, has approved the proposal to ban gambling with credit, with the amendment to the Gambling Act 2018 to come into effect on May 1, 2026.
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Swedish operators stand against differentiated gambling tax
On December 15, 2025, Swedish gambling operators, including chief executives from Entain, Betsson, and LeoVegas, published a letter sent to the country’s Ministry of Finance, opposing the introduction of differentiated gambling tax rates inspired by the UK’s recent tax reforms.
Operators argue that state-linked horse racing monopoly ATG’s proposal to reduce the tax rate on horse racing betting from 22% to 18% while raising the online casino tax to 26% will harm channelization rates and affect Sweden’s gambling policy goals.
The government’s channelization goal is 90%, but the Swedish Gambling Authority estimated the figure at 85%. Data shows that betting has a channelization rate of between 92% and 96%, while online casinos’ rate is much lower, between 72% and 82%.
The letter stressed that lowering taxes on horse racing gambling at the expense of online casinos, which have huge channelization problems, would be reckless.
For context, horse betting in Sweden has a 98-99% channelization rate.
The operators also dismissed ATG’s claims that horse betting is an important source of revenue. They underlined how it falls outside the scope of Swedish gambling policy objectives, stressing that the primary goal of the policy must be consumer protection.
Operators said they support Sweden’s current uniform tax rates for all gambling products, rather than the introduction of differentiation.
Sweden’s National Audit Office has found weaknesses in the country’s gambling harm prevention initiatives, especially for young people.The report noted structural...
