BOS urges Sweden to lift deposit cap with other Covid-19 rules in September

The restrictions were due to be eased on 14 November, but, after the government announced during a press conference that all general pandemic-related restrictions would be lifted on 29 September, BOS argued the online casino rules should be lifted on the same date.

The restrictions were first imposed in July 2020, and were extended several times despite initial plans to lift them at the end of the year.

They included a SEK5000 deposit cap, and a time limit on playing slots and casino games at licenced operators.

In the letter, BOS secretary general Gustaf Hoffstedt said: “The fact that the government announced on 7 September that most of the general restrictions will be removed from 29 September this year is, of course, an even clearer signal of the government’s ambition to return Sweden to a normal situation.

“This includes the Swedish Public Health Agency’s advice to withdraw the advice to work from home, which was the main argument for the temporary regulation on gambling liability measures, as it was claimed that increased stays at home would lead to increased gambling problems with online casino gambling.”

Hoffstedt also noted that Casino Cosmopol, a state-owned land-based casino, reopened on 7 July without the restrictions which apply to online casinos.