The Swedish Government revealed on April 23rd that new limits to online gambling would be faced by local punters during the Covid-19 situation. It explained that a new limit on the amount that could be gambled would be unveiled over the coronavirus outbreak in order to protect self-isolated individuals from getting increasingly hooked on online gambling at times when they are forced to stay at home.
Considering the fact that all major sports events have been canceled or postponed due to the safety measures aimed at preventing the new coronavirus infection from spreading, many Swedes have stayed at home keeping social distance. The lack of brick-and-mortar gambling, however, has made online gambling much more popular, with the interest in casino games and online slot machines getting more and more intense.
Yesterday, Government officials explained they planned to implement new limits on the amount local gamblers can transfer in their accounts with online casinos to SEK5,000 a week. A similar betting limit would be imposed on their deposits on online slot machines.
Ardalan Shekarabi, the Social Security Minister, has described the situation as a moment when a “dangerous cocktail” of various conditions could seriously boost the risk of gambling addiction. The fact that individuals are self-isolated and some of them feel depressed or worried about their jobs and finances creates the perfect predisposition for an increase in problem gambling and gambling-related harm.
Swedish Players Will Be Able to Set Time Limits on Their Gambling, As Well
Under the new rules, Swedish player will have to set a time limit for their gambling activities, while bonuses that online casinos offer to their players to encourage them to continue gambling, would be limited to a maximum of SEK100. In addition, local authorities would be provided with more tools to block unlicensed online gambling sites.
Shares in casino companies suffered a decline following yesterday’s announcement of the new measures considered by the Government. The proposal is set to come into force on June 1st and will last until the end of 2020.
For the time being, Sweden has remained one of the countries that chose not to implement a full lockdown to deal with the spread of coronavirus, which means it has taken a relatively low-key approach to tackle the infection and it has relied on voluntary social distancing rather than on obligatory measures. Still, many businesses across the country have ceased operations and thousands of workers have been sent home since the start of the pandemic.
It is exactly the voluntary self-isolation that has been considered as a greatly contributing factor for the rise of gambling addiction rates. That is why the authorities have decided to unveil further measures to make sure local punters are better protected against possible gambling-related harm. So far, countries like Belgium and Spain have also taken stricter measures to limit online gambling that has register an increase during coronavirus lockdown.
