Five CEOs for gambling companies with a Swedish license signed April 30 a petition to Minister Ardalan Shekarabi. The CEOs warned the Minister about the increasingly low channelization on the Swedish gambling market, especially on the gambling vertical online casino.

Every forth Swedish krona is lost to the unlicensed market when it comes to online casino.

The CEOs also warned Mr. Shekarabi that further measures aimed at Swedish licensed operators will accelerate the costumer escape from the licensing system. The CEOs urged the Minister to change strategy and protect the Swedish licensing system.

A high channelization into the licensing system is necessary for a high costumer protection, the CEOs advocated. Furthermore, the licensed operators contribute with large sums of tax. Their contribution to Sweden last year was 3,6 billion Swedish krona. The unlicensed operator’s contribution was zero.

At this moment an additional seven CEOs have joined and signed the petition. In total twelve CEOs have now signed.

My estimation is that the twelve gambling CEOs represent approximately half of the Swedish online gambling market. It is crucial for the success of the licensing system and the safeguarding of costumer protection that Mr Shekarabi withdraws his additional measures towards the locally licensed operators.

The licensing system is fragile and can’t endure further attacks from the Minister. He must do the opposite and safeguard the licensing system in the name of costumer protection, says Gustaf Hoffstedt.

From our perspective as a trade body for the industry we now open up and invite all CEOs for gambling companies to sign the petition, being a member of us or not. Our only demand is that the company stands by the petition and if it is a B2C company that it holds a Swedish gambling license, Hoffstedt concludes.