Svenska Spel Rebuts Claims of Diluted Responsible Gambling Focus
2026-07-24
Source: Focus Gaming News
Svenska Spel has denied downgrading its responsible gambling commitments, countering criticism from media and addiction charities after strong Q2 results. The operator points to Sweden's lowest deposit limits, AI-based monitoring, and over SEK 100m in harm research as evidence of its continued focus on player protection.
Svenska Spel has firmly rejected accusations that it has dialled back its commitment to responsible gambling, pushing back against a recent editorial that questioned whether the state-owned operator was prioritising profit over player protection.
The criticism surfaced after the company published its second-quarter results, which showed an 8% increase in gross gaming revenue to SEK 1.963bn and a similar rise in operating profit. The Aftonbladet editorial and the National Association for Gambling Addiction (Spelberoendes Riksförbund) argued that the strong financial performance, driven by World Cup betting advertising and the online casino arm, signalled a shift away from the operator’s traditional ethical stance.
Responsible Gaming and AML Director Annika Hjälm responded directly to those claims. “The image that responsible gaming has been downgraded is incorrect,” she said. She stressed that Svenska Spel operates an evidence-based system focused on early detection and intervention.
Hjälm highlighted several concrete measures that set the operator apart. Svenska Spel applies Sweden’s lowest deposit limits, capping customers aged 18–19 at SEK 1,000 per month. The company also invests in artificial intelligence and behavioural monitoring to track risky patterns in real time, and has contributed over SEK 100m to gambling-harm research in the past 15 years, arguing that profitability enables further investment in responsible gambling tools.
On the topic of staffing changes, Hjälm noted that “AI and new technology have reduced the need for manual processes”, shifting more employees toward technical development rather than manual oversight. She concluded that maintaining a sustainable business allows Svenska Spel to continue funding technology that strengthens player protection and expands public knowledge of gambling-related harm.