Published on December 4th, the recent report illustrates that Sweden’s latest channelisation rate was projected to fall between 70% and 82% in the third quarter. Even at the highest estimate, this falls short of the 86% quoted by Spelinspektionen in their October report.
According to ATG, their latest figures are an improvement from last year’s Q3 estimation of 68% to 81%. Despite this progress, the rate still does not meet the government’s goal of 90% for licensed operators in Sweden.
The report highlights a dramatic rise in visits to unlicensed gambling websites in Sweden, noting a tenfold increase since 2019. This surge, ATG claims, has significantly affected channelisation rates for sports betting and online casinos.
ATG CEO Hasse Lord Skarplöth criticized the government for imposing “unreasonable” expectations on licensed operators. He argued that the regulations are counterproductive, inadvertently fueling the growth of illegal markets.
“Unlicensed gambling is believed to generate a gross turnover reaching SEK150 billion (£10.76 billion/€12.99 billion/$13.64 billion), equivalent to the expenses involved in running all of Sweden’s primary schools,” stated Skarplöth.
“To demand so much from us licensed companies while allowing such large sums to bypass regulation and control is both unreasonable and counterproductive.”
### Channelisation Challenged for Online Casino
The report further revealed that channelisation issues are more pronounced in the online casino market.
In Q3, the channelisation rate for online casinos ranged from 60% to 75%. For sports betting, the rate improved, ranging between 77% and 87%.
These estimates assume that at the higher range, players are betting 10 times more on unlicensed platforms. Conversely, the lower end assumes users spend 20 times more on non-approved sites.
Out of the top 20 unlicensed sites visited by consumers, 18 shared platform providers with licensed systems. Eight sites enabled direct deposits and withdrawals from Swedish banks, and only two were listed on Spelinspektionen’s ban list.
The most visited unlicensed site was Unlimitcasino.com, attracting 159,320 visitors in the period. It was followed by Refuelcasino.com with 129,540 visitors and Luckyjungle.com with 114,329. All these sites are operated by Infiniza Limited.
Luckyjungle.com, which debuted in Sweden in Q3 last year, saw the highest growth in visitors. Interestingly, traffic to Unlimitcasino.com and Refuelcasino.com has decreased since early 2024.
“ATG is committed to combatting unlicensed gambling activities steadily until licensed companies can monopoly gambling in Sweden,” Skarplöth concluded.