Improving the Swedish betting experience

US-based operator DraftKings is powering the new Svenska Spel Sport & Casino online sportsbook in Sweden. The platform aims to offer a wide selection of sports betting options, new features, and an overall improved experience for bettors. 

According to the announcement, the current staff at Svenska Spel Sport & Casino will also be handling the local betting markets. The sportsbook officially launched online for business on Tuesday morning. 

Dan Korhonen, Svenska Spel Sport & Casino’s head of sports betting and sportsbook integrity, welcomed the launch saying: “It feels incredibly good to finally be able to offer our customers a new sportsbook with all that it entails.”

the leading operator in the Swedish market”

DraftKings’ chief international officer Shay Berka described Svenska Spel Sport & Casino as “the leading operator in the Swedish market.” He said both parties will strive to provide a better gaming experience for bettors in Sweden. 

Origins of the sportsbook partnership

The origins of the relationship to build the new sportsbook date back to September 2019, when Svenska Spel signed a deal with SBTech following a tender process. SBTech then merged with DraftKings in April 2020. The work to develop the new online sportsbook in Sweden continued throughout the process.

The Massachusetts, US-based DraftKings began life as a daily fantasy sports operator, and has since branched out into the sports betting and iGaming markets. It currently provides gaming and sports betting technology to over 50 operators across 17 countries.

Online gambling restrictions in Sweden

The regulated online gambling sector launched in Sweden on January 1, 2019. Previously, Svenska Spel had a monopoly on the market. While many notable operators obtained a license to operate in the country, they have faced significant issues over the past couple of years since going live.

a weekly spending cap of just SEK5,000 ($592), as well as restrictions on the size of bonus offers 

One of the main points of contention was the decision by the Swedish government to introduce strict limits on certain aspects of online gambling after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included a weekly spending cap of just SEK5,000 ($592), as well as restrictions on the size of bonus offers.?

Many licensed operators believed these strict limits would drive more gamblers towards black market sites, with some threatening to leave the market if changes were not forthcoming. The Swedish authorities steamrolled ahead with their plans in June 2020, and intend to keep these measures in place for the moment.?

Despite the current restrictions, Svenska Spel Sport & Casino recorded revenue of SEK490m ($58m) in Q3 2020, a 6.5% year-on-year increase.