After pulling off a historic, surprise victory in the recently-concluded General Election in Sweden, the rightwing coalition comprised of the Sweden Democrats, Moderate Party, Christian Democrats, and Liberals will now govern the country.
The four-party rightwing bloc secured a narrow majority in the Swedish parliament, winning 176 of the 349 seats. In the wake of the unprecedented results, Magdalena Andersson announced her resignation as Prime Minister, with Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson in line to take over her role.
Potential Gambling Regulatory Changes under New Government
The new government will take charge of potential regulatory changes in the gambling sector, with completing stage 2 of Sweden’s gambling reforms high on the agenda. The reforms, laid out in a report released in 2021 as part of the country’s gambling market inquiry, include the implementation of tougher advertising controls and the establishment of a licensing regime for software providers and online casino game developers.
All eyes will also be on the Moderate Party’s proposal to split Svenska Spel and put its competitive gaming business up for sale. The plan is also being supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats, which is now the second-largest party in the country.
Splitting of Svenska Spel Highly Likely
Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (BOS), the Swedish trade association for online gambling, said the new ruling coalition could proceed with its plan to sell Svenska Spel’s sport and casino operations. The organization also noted that the “adjusted moderation” proposal on gambling advertising spearheaded by the outgoing government could face hurdles in the Riksdag.