When you play at a gambling company with a Swedish gaming license, you as a player are always perfectly safe, as these operators are required to comply with Swedish gambling law. If you play with a gambling company that doesn't have a Swedish gaming license, you can't count on the same basic protection - but depending on what other licenses that operator has, you may still get some protection.
Generally, gambling companies with some sort of European license are pretty safe cards. Among other things, such licenses - such as a Swedish license - usually mean that you don't have to pay tax on your winnings at the gambling establishment.
On the other hand, if you play with a gambling establishment that has no license at all, you can expect to pay tax on any winnings over 100 Swedish kronor.
You will have to report this tax on your tax return as income tax, and it will be taxed at 30%. You cannot offset winnings and losses from different gambling establishments against each other - any winnings over SEK 100 at each individual gambling establishment are taxable.
What is the difference between a gambling company without a Swedish license and a gambling company with a license?
If a gambling company has a Swedish gambling license, that gambling company must comply with a number of very strict laws and regulations. The Swedish Gambling Act, which all Swedish casinos must follow, is very strict.
It is also designed with player safety in mind, which means that the law is written in the player's favor.
Some of the things that differentiate a gambling company with a Swedish license from one without a Swedish license include the fact that the former has strict restrictions on bonuses for its players. All Swedish casinos also offer tax-free winnings, which is not guaranteed in unlicensed gambling companies.
Another important difference is that a Swedish gambling company is tied to a gambling break. For those of you who are not yet familiar with spelpaus, we can tell you that it is a site where all Swedish players have the ability to block themselves from all gambling at Swedish casinos as well as all advertising from them.
A frequent reason a player registers with spelpaus is, for example, that he needs help in restricting gambling.
Spelpaus works in such a way that it blocks the registered person from all casino games in Swedish gambling companies for a pre-selected period of time.
You can set a pause for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or indefinitely. If you have registered with spelpaus, it is not possible to end the pause early, even if you change your mind.
Of course, this is to protect the player, but it can be very frustrating if you register for a longer period and then change your mind. If that happens, there is no way to cancel your registration and you will either have to wait out the time you decided to take a break, or find a betting utan licens
Are there significant differences between unlicensed gambling companies?
When it comes to safety and security, there is absolutely no difference in playing at a gambling establishment without a license. On the contrary, many of the international operators are unlicensed gambling companies in Sweden, but fully licensed in other countries.
Therefore, there is hardly any need to worry about having a negative impact on the gambling process itself. So take the opportunity to experience a wider and more exciting range of unlicensed gaming companies.
Unique experiences at unlicensed betting sites
Many unlicensed betting sites have a range of offerings that are very different from what Swedish licensed sites offer.
This could be because they have agreements with other providers, or simply because there is a different demand in other countries. So if you're tired of the Swedish offering or just want a change, sites without a Swedish license create exciting opportunities.
In many cases, you can enjoy the same offerings as Swedish gambling sites, but with some additions and changes.
So it's an easy way to have a unique experience that's both similar and different from what we Swedish players are used to. And the fact that you actually have a better chance of getting bonuses and perks is certainly the icing on the cake.
The safety of unlicensed betting shops
Are unlicensed betting sites that safe?
Swedes are unique in that safety and security are the two things they value more than anything else. In many cases, the desire for a safe betting experience actually exceeds the expectation of winning odds.
And this has made many people question whether betting sites without a Swedish license are as safe as Swedish sites with a license. Anyone with such concerns need not worry. Betting sites without a Swedish license are just as safe.
There is no gambling business that is completely unregulated. In order for a company to offer gambling for money, it must apply for a license one way or another.
Read next article, if you want to get know about Why do bookmakers allow betting without identification?
Eleena Timmons