Tim is a journalist, author, and columnist with two decades of experience writing for outlets like the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He is an expert on regulation, business, and industry and is fluent...
Read Full BioThe Swedish government’s latest attempt to ban credit card gambling may be indicative of a broader European effort to block citizens from betting with credit.
On June 12, the government proposed a new, broader plan to stop gambling store operators and online providers from accepting credit card payments from customers.
An existing Swedish ban already stops license-holding gaming firms from allowing customers to bet using the firms’ own credit lines.
Credit Card Gambling Bans Imminent in Sweden and Other EU States?
Sweden’s proposal would stop firms from accepting credit cards “if it is immediately apparent that the payment is a credit card payment.”
Furthermore, the measure would block players from entering into credit agreements with third parties (such as loan providers) when playing online games.
Sweden’s Finance Minister Niklas Wykman spoke about the bill, claiming that it could come into force in April next year. He stated that citizens “simply should not bet with borrowed money.”
The country’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, also supports the expansion of existing credit ban measures.
Policy Discussions Underway
Lawmakers in other EU nations have also been working to restrict credit card gambling or issue blanket bans.
Nos reported in November last year that a cross-party group of Dutch MPs launched a private member’s bill that proposes a total ban on all credit card-powered gambling in the Netherlands.
The move came a month after Irish lawmakers voted in favor of a new gambling bill. The law forbids the use of credit cards for betting, the Journal reported in October 2024.
Elsewhere in Europe, the UK government was the first pioneer of credit card bans. The country completely banned credit card use in the gambling space on April 14, 2020.
British regulators claimed that 22% of credit card-using online gamblers were addicted to placing bets.
Policymakers and gaming regulators elsewhere in the EU have also debated proposals to ban credit card gambling.
Several policy papers have been launched in Germany, France, Spain, and Belgium. In many of these nations, credit card providers have already been ordered to block bets from problem gamblers. They also restrict younger citizens or people who lose over 600 euros ($692) per week from placing credit card bets.
However, while member states continue to push toward gambling credit card bans or stricter limits, Brussels looks unlikely to get involved.
Bloc-wide Ban Not Likely?
The EU has no standardized laws for the gambling sector. EU member states are essentially autonomous in their regulatory efforts.
Per its website, the European Commission “supports EU countries’ efforts to modernise their national online gambling legal frameworks, in particular in the framework of administrative cooperation between gambling regulatory authorities.”
The EC has not made any meaningful statements to date on credit card gambling bans. Instead, it has historically focused its energy on ensuring member states have regulations in place that block minors from accessing gambling sites.
Last month, the Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria claimed that the imminent adoption of the euro would help fight the rise of illegal gambling and money laundering.
