BOS Opposes Swedish Government’s Credit Card Ban

On Friday, the government came out with a proposal to ban the use of credit cards for gambling. The government is thus going against its own state investigation into the matter, the so-called Over-indebtedness Inquiry.

In a previous opinion, BOS has supported the Over-indebtedness Inquiry’s conclusion to continue allowing credit cards for gambling.

“It is sad that the government does not listen to its own expertise and instead proposes a ban on credit cards when gambling, contrary to what the government investigation has concluded. Interestingly, the government does not propose a corresponding credit card ban for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, which in Sweden is only offered by a retail monopoly owned and operated by the government itself,” Gustaf Hoffstedt said.

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“The government is handing yet another competitive advantage to the unlicensed gambling market, which has a 41% market share when it comes to online casino. The risk is great that unlicensed gambling will overtake and gain a larger total market share than licensed gambling in 2024. The government needs to change focus and show that it is on the same side as the licensed gambling companies and the safeguarding of consumers,” Gustaf Hoffstedt added.