Declining Swedish Channelization Poses Threat to Legal Gambling

ATG Raises Concerns

The former Swedish horse racing monopoly, Aktiebolaget Trav och Galopp (ATG), has expressed alarm regarding the persistent decline in channelization towards the legal gambling sector.

The company’s latest report for the fourth quarter of 2023 highlights the growing negative impact of the unlicensed gambling industry in Sweden.

Ambitious Goals vs. Reality

However, recent results indicate that this target may be overly ambitious given the current status of the market.

ATG’s report reveals a worrisome trend as the channelization rate towards the legal market continues to decline, raising concerns about the effectiveness of existing regulations.

Ongoing Decline in Channelization

The company has criticized the government for its ineffective regulations and expressed alarm at the continuous decrease in the channelization rate towards the legal market, with no signs of improvement in the near future.

CEO’s Concerns and Recommendations

Hans Lord Skarplöth, ATG’s CEO, expressed deep concern about the growth of the unlicensed gambling sector and emphasized the need for additional measures to combat unlicensed operators.

Skarplöth highlighted the threat posed by unlicensed operators to the country’s legal gambling industry, particularly in preying on vulnerable groups and individuals struggling with gambling addiction.

Surprising Revelations

Furthermore, ATG discovered that the leading unlicensed betting operators are supported by the same platform providers that supply solutions for licensed Swedish gambling operators.

In response to this, Skarplöth urged banks in the country to enforce bans on transactions with unregulated gambling operators to mitigate the flow of customers towards unlicensed platforms.

“It is a very worrying development and our research points that more needs to be done to keep unlicensed companies away.”

— Hans Lord Skarplöth, CEO at ATG

Related pages:

• Gambling news in Sweden