Sweden reveals first three B2B licence holders

Sweden has issued its first tranche of B2B supplier licences ahead of the sweeping legislative change that will come into effect from 1 July.

SkillOnNet, Synot Games and Norrköping have been named as the first three firms to successfully acquire a B2B licence.

The licences will run for five years and come into effect from 1 July.

In effect, the trio will be licensed to provide B2B services until 30 June 2028.

SkillOnNet also currently holds an online B2C licence that runs until 31 December 2023 for its suite of sites.

From 1 July, unlicensed operators in Sweden will not be allowed to use game content or platforms from suppliers that are licenced by the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA).

The SGA confirmed that since the application process for B2B licences opened on 1 March, it has had around 60 applications from various suppliers.

The fee for an annual B2B licence comes in at SEK120,000.

The Swedish parliament, Riksdag, approved the introduction of B2B licences in November 2022

At the time, a Riksdag report noted: “The committee initially notes that there is a need to modernise the gambling regulations in light of, among other things, the rapid digital development and changed range of game forms.

“The committee therefore welcomes the bill’s proposal that a licence requirement for software be introduced into the Gaming Act with the aim of excluding unlicensed gaming. It is important to prevent unlicensed actors from operating in the Swedish market.”