Swedish Casinos are Subject to Curfew under New Covid Wave

Land-based casino and gambling venues in Sweden are now subject to further limits after a new COVID-19 regulation was adopted by the government as of 20 November.

In an attempt to stem the the number of COVID-19 cases in the region, the Swedish government enacted a temporary ban on alcohol serving between 10pm and 11am. The curfew is valid from November 20th until the end of February 2021.

According to a document on the website of the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA), the ordnance states that professional casino games with a operating license after the curfew cannot include gaming facilities.

The SGA said:

“If the venue has a serving permit, games may only be provided during the time the serving permit is valid. This is stated in Section 3 of the Lottery Inspectorate’s regulations and general guidelines on land-based commercial gaming.”

The regulatory body said that it has no legislation to issue the latest curfew exemptions.

Online casino operators have recently opposed the plan from the SGA and Swedish government to expand stringent online casino limits to next year.

Last week, LeoVegas chief marketing officer Dersim Sylwan, speaking with Gambling Insider, said he believed the restrictions were harmful to business channeling activities.

He said:

“The effect and results from the recent measures and limitations has been an even lower channelization within casino. One key issue is that problem gamblers who in Sweden have suspended themselves from playing via the central self exclusion system have been able to continue playing with the unlicensed gaming companies, where there is no consumer protection.”