In recent years, the trend has been clear in Stockholm - more and more Swedes have started playing at casinos without a Swedish license. We believe that the development is due to the fact that Swedish gambling companies have reduced their bonuses. Swedish casinos have also introduced strict requirements which have reduced the supply of Swedish casinos.
At a casino without a Swedish license you can still get bonuses. In addition, you get to decide for yourself how and when to play. We have made this article about casinos without a Swedish license together with https://www.doktorspinn.net/ , who have a good grasp of the subject. They have worked with casinos without a Swedish license since 2019, and are experts in the field.
Casino without a Swedish license - what is it?
A casino without a Swedish license, also called a casino without a license or a foreign casino, is a casino that lacks a Swedish gaming license issued by the Swedish Gaming Authority.
There can be several different reasons why a casino does not have a Swedish gaming license. This may be due, among other things, to the fact that they cannot afford the new license or do not want to find themselves introducing so many restrictions.
Many smaller players disappeared from the Swedish market when the Swedish license was introduced, because they could not afford it.
The Swedish license
On the first of January 2019, the Swedish gambling monopoly was abolished . Before that, politicians had been talking about the Swedish gaming market for several years. Many wanted to see a change from the previous model, where Svenska Spel and ATG were the only ones allowed to operate games in Sweden. Now, instead of the gaming monopoly, we have our own national gaming license. The purpose behind its introduction was, among other things, that they wanted to make the Swedish gambling market safer for players.
Tax revenue
In addition, the government wanted to bring in tax revenues that had previously disappeared to foreign tax havens. The new license meant that a lot changed in the Swedish gaming market. Before it was introduced, there had been many different players in the gaming market. With the introduction of the Swedish gambling license, it became illegal for gambling companies without a license to accept Swedish players. All casinos in Sweden must therefore be approved by the Swedish Gaming Authority and have a Swedish license. In order to get a Swedish license, casinos must live up to a series of rules.
New strict rules
To briefly summarize the requirements that are now placed on Swedish casinos, one is that the gaming companies must pay 18% tax to the Swedish state. The sum is calculated on the casino's net profit. In addition, all casinos must pay a one-time fee for the license. If the casino wants to be able to offer odds as well, it has to pay even more.
Otherwise, a Swedish casino may not offer games against credit, offer more than one bonus per player or neglect to check the identity of its players. They also have to live up to the requirements of moderate marketing and try to protect their players, so that they don't start playing too much. All Swedish casinos must also be connected to Spelpaus, a national suspension service. A casino must also require players to specify how much and how long they will play before they start.
Game licenses other than the Swedish one
The Swedish gaming license is in no way unique or the only license in the casino world. There are several other licenses that foreign casinos have instead of the Swedish license.
Below you can take a look at some of the licenses available on the casino market today.
MGA, Malta Gaming License
This is Europe's oldest and most popular gaming license. MGA is a gaming license issued by the Malta Gaming Authority . This is a gaming license with a well-deserved good reputation. Another advantage of MGA casinos is that some use Pay 'n Play technology. At these casinos, both registration and account verification are faster. In addition, you will be able to withdraw your money with Trustly and BankID. Both BankID and Trustly are secure methods that use the latest encryption technology to keep your information safe. The withdrawal speed is the same, even if it is a casino without a Swedish license. All MGA casinos are also tax-free for players within Europe.
Curaçao
Curacao's license is also old, having been introduced back in 1996. This license is popular but does not have quite the same reputation as the one from Malta. This is because this gaming license is both cheaper and easier to obtain for gaming companies. It can be a disadvantage for the player, who sometimes does not get an equally high-quality product. The Curacao license is issued by the Curacao Gambling Commission.
The biggest disadvantage of playing at a casino that has this gaming license is that you have to pay tax on your winnings. Curacao does not belong to the EU and therefore you will have to pay 30% of your winnings in tax. The profits must also be declared in your income tax return.
Curacao casinos are currently the only option for those who want to be able to play for cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is the most common option, but there are also a number of online casinos that accept other digital currencies. Cryptocurrencies are a method that allows you to make quick transfers completely anonymously.
Gibraltar Gaming License
Gibraltar is an area located on the south coast of Spain. As the area belongs to England and not the EU, you will have to pay tax on your winnings.
Gibraltar's license has a very good reputation. They are known for doing thorough checks on the people who run and own the casino. The casino is also inspected, as money laundering or other illegal activities must not occur there.
All casinos granted this license must have systems in place to counter and prevent criminal activities. The casino is also obliged to check the identity of all its players.
Advantages of choosing a casino without a Swedish license
So what happens if we instead choose to leave the Swedish gaming market and play at a casino without a Swedish license? Most likely, you will notice that there are many advantages of unlicensed casinos. After all, these gambling companies do not need to worry about the requirements that the Swedish Gambling Authority places on Swedish casinos. This means, among other things, that a casino without a Swedish license can offer unlimited bonuses. Below you can read about more of the advantages of playing at a casino without a Swedish license.
Bonus rain
As we mentioned, you can only get a single bonus at a Swedish casino. It is awarded the first time you play at the casino. Right now, the single bonus may not be worth more than SEK 100 either.
At a casino without a Swedish license, you will be able to take advantage of significantly more bonuses. They don't have to worry about the Swedish restrictions, but can give away as many bonuses as they want. This usually results in a veritable bonus rain that starts with a welcome bonus or several welcome bonuses.
Welcome bonuses
At a casino without a Swedish license, all players usually receive at least one welcome bonus. It is the casino's way of welcoming you and giving you a good start on your casino adventure. What you get in the welcome bonus varies, of course, from casino to casino. However, a common variant is deposit bonuses. They mean that you make a deposit which the casino then makes sure to match with a certain percentage. That way you get more to play for. It is common for a casino without a Swedish license to also give away free spins as part of the welcome bonus. It also happens that the welcome bonus consists exclusively of free spins. In that case, you usually get a large amount of free spins.
A casino without a Swedish license usually also has weekly bonuses. That is, recurring bonuses that you can take advantage of on a certain day of the week. They can consist of a bit of everything, from cashback bonuses to free spins or more deposit bonuses.
Loyalty program
At a casino without a Swedish license there is usually also a loyalty program. When you play in the casino, you get points and when you have accumulated enough points, you move on to the next level in the program. At the same time, you also get a bonus. The higher level you are, the finer benefits and/or bonuses you will receive. What you get in connection with moving on to the next level varies greatly between different betting companies. At some casinos you can get free spins, an extra deposit bonus or your very own account manager. There is even a casino that gives away a sports car to anyone who reaches the highest level of their VIP program.
Greater freedom
As we have seen, you have to accept a number of restrictions at Swedish casinos. You don't get to decide for yourself how much to play or for how long. However, this does not apply to foreign casinos. There you don't have to wait three seconds between each spin in slot machines. You also do not need to specify how long you will play or how much you will bet. In short, you get much greater freedom to decide your own playing.
You can play at the casino without a Swedish license even if you have activated a game break. This is because foreign casinos are excluded from the Swedish gaming rules. They follow other rules and laws.
Cooler game selection
Swedish casinos usually run on secure cards and only accept games from large popular manufacturers. Some examples of these are Evolution Gaming, NetEnt and Play 'n GO. At a casino without a Swedish license, you will be met by a different breadth of games and game manufacturers. In addition to the big, popular manufacturers that you are familiar with from Swedish casinos, you will find smaller and rarer manufacturers. Many times they have at least as fun games as the big manufacturers. In unlicensed casinos you can often also find other types of games, which are not usually found in Swedish licensed casinos. Some examples of such game categories are virtual sports, lotto and trislots.
Smooth payment methods
If you are used to playing at Swedish licensed casinos, you are also used to fast deposits and withdrawals. It is not something that you need to give up when you start playing at a casino without a Swedish license. There are also about a hundred unlicensed casinos that support BankID and Trustly .
High security
Swedish gambling experts usually advise Swedes to stick to Swedish casinos. It can often be wise, but the fact is that a casino without a Swedish license can be just as safe as a Swedish casino. It largely depends on which gaming license the casino has. Always look at what gaming license a casino has before you deposit all your savings at an online casino.
Briefly about some disadvantages of playing at a casino without a Swedish license
However, everything is not perfect when it comes to unlicensed casinos. Playing at an online casino always involves certain risks. Playing at a casino without a Swedish license does not necessarily mean that you expose yourself to a greater risk, but it can.
Find a good casino
In order for you to have as safe and smooth gaming experience as possible, you must make sure that the casino you intend to play at is serious. You do this by checking what gaming license the casino has. The license is a guarantee that the casino follows the laws that prevail in the country in which the license is issued. As we have seen, it is a little different how strict the country's gambling laws are. Please read some reviews of your casino without a Swedish license before you deposit any money.
Consumer safety
If you choose to play at a casino without a Swedish license, you do so at your own risk. Should you end up in a dispute with a casino without a Swedish license, you cannot get any help from the Swedish authorities. Instead, you have to take up the fight against the foreign betting company yourself. It's rare that anyone succeeds in that. If it is a Swedish gambling company that misbehaves, you can turn to the Gambling Inspectorate or the Swedish Consumer Agency . At a Swedish casino, you therefore have an extra security line that is not available at a casino without a Swedish license.
Last word about casino without Swedish license
There are many advantages to choosing a casino without a Swedish license. They can offer more bonuses and a freer gaming experience without a lot of restrictions. For example, you don't have to specify in advance how long you will play. The three-second rule also does not exist in unlicensed casinos.
However, it is important to know that there are rogue actors out there. Never deposit money at a casino without a Swedish license without first reading some reviews of it. Please also check what kind of gaming license it has and what it means.
