A report into the gambling market in Sweden proposed a model which would allow foreign companies to apply for licenses to organize online gambling.
The head of the inquiry, Jan Francke, concluded that under Swedish law there is no feasible way of stopping online gambling which is run from abroad, thus a license system, such as the one in the UK, would give the Swedish state the ability to retain control of the gambling market.
“I\’m convinced that with today\’s legislation we\’d have trouble with EU law, and we need a plan B for when the cruel winds start blowing from Brussels,” said Francke.
“In which case we have to test something new. It can\’t be any worse than today, when 80% of the internet market is controlled by foreign companies.”
The Minister for Financial Market Issues, Sven-Erik Österberg, did not reject the idea of allowing foreign gambling companies to apply for licenses.
“I don\’t want to put my foot down today. What we have to do now is research this proposal further,” he said.
The managing director of Ladbrokes\’ Swedish operation, Douglas Roos, although his company will not be allowed to open betting shops in Sweden, said the news of the proposal were unbelievably positive, as for a long time Ladbrokes had been working for a licensing solution.
“It\’s also gratifying that the inquiry acknowledged that the monopoly is contrary to EU law,” he added.
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