Sweden: offshore players more likely to report excessive gambling
A survey conducted by Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has revealed an increase in the number of players using unlicensed gaming sites in the country.
Of the 3,208 people surveyed, 7% said they had played on a site without a Swedish gaming licence, such as Nya MGA Casino - up from 3% in the last survey conducted. However, the accuracy of both of these figures can be questioned because of the level of awareness among customers as to whether the sites were licensed.
While the majority of players reported using licensed channels, 12% were unsure whether they played on an unlicensed site.
Players who played on unlicensed sites were more willing than other players to admit that their play had increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Of the 32% of people who said they played on these sites at least once a quarter, 19% said their gaming habits had improved compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, 10% of players admitted playing too much in the past three months and those who had used unlicensed sites were more likely to report this. While the vast majority of players overall did not report playing too much, a slight majority of players who used unlicensed sites said they did.
47% of players who used unlicensed sites found them through internet searches. 31% of players found them either through advertisements or tips from friends.
Better odds and winning opportunities were the most common reason people sought out unlicensed sites, with 25% of such players citing this as the reason. Meanwhile, just under 20% tried to beat the 5000 SEK deposit limit, which has proved very unpopular in the industry.
Lotteries proved to be the most popular type of unlicensed gambling: 60% of those who played at least once a quarter preferred them. Next in popularity were horse racing and other non-racing sports with 36% each.
20% preferred casino games, such as slot machines, 11% preferred bingo and 7% preferred poker.