Sweden Online Gambling Share Reaches 66.5% in Q1 2026
Sweden’s Online Gambling Share Reaches 66.5% in Q1 2026 – Digital Casino and Sports Betting Strengthen Market Lead
Key Takeaways
- Sweden’s licensed gambling market generated SEK6.68bn in Q1 2026, up 0.8% year on year.
- Commercial online gambling revenue rose 3.4% to SEK4,439m, accounting for 66.5% of the total market.
- State lottery and slot machine revenue declined 3.4% to SEK1,274m, while public benefit lotteries fell 2.6% to SEK863m.
- Almost 138,000 people were registered with the national self-exclusion system Spelpaus.se by the end of March 2026.
Licensed Gambling Revenue Reaches SEK6.68bn in First Quarter
Sweden recorded SEK6.68bn in licensed gambling revenue in the first quarter of 2026, according to figures published by the national regulator Spelinspektionen. The total represents a year-on-year increase of 0.8% compared with Q1 2025.
The overall growth rate was modest, but the composition of the market continued to shift. Revenue patterns show further movement toward digital channels, particularly online casino and sports betting.
Spelinspektionen publishes aggregated data across licensed operators and does not provide operator-specific breakdowns. As a result, the figures reflect total performance within each licensed segment rather than individual company results.
Online Casino and Sports Betting Account for 66.5% of Market
Commercial online gambling, which includes online casino and sports betting, generated SEK4,439m in Q1 2026. This represents an increase of 3.4% compared with SEK4,295m in the same quarter a year earlier.
With total licensed gambling revenue at SEK6.68bn, online casino and sports betting accounted for 66.5% of the market during the first quarter. This confirms that digital gambling continues to hold a clear majority share within Sweden’s regulated environment.
Since Sweden re-regulated its gambling market in 2019, online operators have steadily increased their share of overall revenue. The latest quarterly data indicates that this structural shift is continuing, even though total market growth remains limited.
For users comparing online gambling platforms, these figures show that the licensed digital segment represents the dominant channel in Sweden’s regulated market.
Offline Segments Continue to Decline
While online gambling expanded, several land-based and lottery segments recorded lower revenue year on year.
State lottery and slot machine gaming fell 3.4% to SEK1,274m in Q1 2026. Public benefit lotteries and games declined 2.6% to SEK863m. Hall bingo revenue remained unchanged at SEK47m.
One smaller offline category reported growth. Land-based commercial gaming, mainly restaurant casinos, increased 3.6% to SEK57m, up from SEK55m in Q1 2025. Despite this increase, the segment remains relatively small compared with online gambling and lottery activities.
The data shows a continued divergence between digital and traditional retail-based gambling segments within the licensed framework.
Casino Cosmopol No Longer Contributes to Market Figures
State-run casino revenue is no longer included in Sweden’s quarterly gambling totals. Casino Cosmopol, the country’s state-operated land-based casino business, closed its final venue in early 2025.
The segment had generated SEK26m in Q1 2025 and SEK8m in Q2 2025 before exiting the market figures. Q1 2026 marks the third consecutive quarter without any revenue contribution from Casino Cosmopol.
As a result, Sweden’s current licensed gambling totals reflect only online gambling, lotteries, bingo, and land-based commercial gaming such as restaurant casinos.
Full-Year 2025 Revenue and Self-Exclusion Data
In addition to quarterly data, Spelinspektionen confirmed that full-year 2025 licensed market revenue across all segments reached SEK28.2bn.
Player protection figures also increased. By the end of March 2026, almost 138,000 individuals had registered with Spelpaus.se, Sweden’s national self-exclusion register. This represented a 2.6% increase compared with the end of Q4 2025.
Spelpaus.se allows individuals to block themselves from participating in licensed gambling. The growth in registrations indicates continued use of the national exclusion system alongside rising digital gambling activity.
Our Assessment
The Q1 2026 data from Spelinspektionen shows that Sweden’s licensed gambling market remains stable in overall size, with modest year-on-year growth of 0.8%. Within that total, online casino and sports betting continue to expand and now account for 66.5% of all licensed revenue.
At the same time, several offline segments, including state lotteries and public benefit games, recorded declines, while state-run casino revenue has fully exited the market following the closure of Casino Cosmopol. The increase in Spelpaus.se registrations to nearly 138,000 users highlights ongoing engagement with national player protection tools within the regulated system.
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