The Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) recently launched a public consultation on the regulatory reform draft of the self-exclusion system Spelpaus, planning to enhance the effectiveness of this tool through stricter identity verification and marketing restrictions.
The core of this proposal is that licensed operators must use specific connection credentials (such as user ID and API key) for stricter verification during player registration, login, or marketing stages, ensuring that the relevant players are not on the Spelpaus self-exclusion list. Compared to previous requirements, the new rules are more specific, clearly stipulating that operators need to make corresponding API calls at different stages of the user journey, rather than vaguely "conducting some checks".
This means that operators will have additional opportunities at multiple contact points to identify and prevent excluded players from participating in gambling. Additionally, the new technical requirements will also prevent self-excluded users from receiving any form of targeted marketing messages during the validity period.
It is noteworthy that the document was signed by the former director Camilla Rosenberg. She has resigned and taken a position at the Swedish Ministry of Finance, thus this proposal is also seen as an important culmination of her work at Spelinspektionen.
The regulatory body's investigation found that the current rules are not enforced strongly enough, with some operators only performing limited comparisons or even not using Spelpaus verification at all, allowing some players to continue gambling after choosing self-exclusion. This flaw significantly weakens the original purpose of the tool.
Spelinspektionen acknowledges that the new rules will bring additional compliance costs to licensees, but emphasizes that these expenses will not pose a heavy burden on the industry. According to the draft, the new rules are planned to take effect on August 1, 2026, while public and industry stakeholders need to submit feedback by September 24, 2024.
