The gaming industry is growing worldwide with more and more people starting to play in search of new entertainment. New foreign casinos are launched every year, and can be compared on various comparison sites such as utländskasino.co. With more casinos appearing with different offerings, it can be difficult to navigate, so with the help of this guide you will learn everything you need to know about playing at foreign casinos and how they work.
What are foreign casinos?
What separates foreign casinos from Swedish casinos is that the foreign casinos do not have a Swedish gambling license from the Swedish Gambling Inspectorate. Gambling companies must have such a license to operate in Sweden and target Swedish players. Another name for foreign casinos is casinos without a license. Most often, however, they have a license, but issued in another country such as Malta.
When the new gaming law was introduced in Sweden in 2019, it became forbidden for casinos without a license to target the Swedish market, and thus even use the Swedish language or currency. This may make it not feel safe or allowed to play at foreign casinos, but this is not the case. It is completely legal to play at foreign casinos, and these in turn may also accept Swedish players – as long as they do not market themselves directly to Swedes.
Profit tax and casino without Game break
If the foreign casino is located within the EU/EEA area, it is tax-free for you as a player to play at them, just as it is if you play at a casino with a Swedish license. If, on the other hand, you play at a foreign casino that is outside the EU/EEA area, you as a player are liable for tax on any winnings to the Swedish state. The tax is 30 percent of your profit amount and you pay it in your income tax return if the net profit is higher than SEK 100.
Another important difference to be aware of is that foreign casinos do not offer Spelpaus – a service from the Swedish Gaming Authority where the player can exclude himself from the casino and betting. If you are banned from Spelpaus, you cannot play at any casino with a Swedish license. But since foreign casinos are not connected to Spelpaus, you can play at them despite your game stop.
Why some prefer foreign casinos
Since the Swedish Gambling Inspectorate places some strict requirements on casinos with a Swedish license, there are some who prefer to play at foreign casinos instead of getting a different gaming experience. These offer, among other things, more and larger bonus offers and other odds and winning opportunities than the Swedish ones. Many with gambling problems also choose to play at foreign casinos to bypass their gambling ban at Spelpaus.
Risks of playing at foreign casinos
The Gambling Act was drawn up to protect the consumer from an uncontrolled market so that gambling at casinos with a Swedish license is safer. Among other things, there are strong regulations for marketing so as not to attract players in a way that could induce a gambling problem. Even with the game pause service, it is easier to both prevent and deal with an emerging gambling problem. You should therefore always play responsibly and be careful when playing at foreign casinos to, among other things, keep track of whether you are liable for tax or not.