Autoplay and reverse withdrawals are about to become a thing of the past for Swedish online gambling enthusiasts. The popular features were recently banned by Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling regulator, as part of an ongoing effort to curb problem gambling.
The new changes come just days after Sweden installed a new right-leaning government lead by the Moderate Party. Gustaf Hoffstedt – secretary general of Swedish trade association Branscheforenigen för Onlinespel told iGaming Business that operators should welcome the new government, and the new rules, and mentioned that the new government is actually supportive of operator-friendly actions, such as breaking down Svenska Spel, the state gaming monopoly.
Players shouldn’t be too surprised to see autoplay and reverse withdrawals heading into the dustbin of history. Both features have been banned by a large number of western governments including Great Britain.
But none of that is going to mean much to the players, who are decidedly unhappy about losing these popular features. Spelinspektonen mentioned as much in a statement reported on by iGaming Business saying, “It is likely that players who use these features will react to their removal, and it is therefore good to communicate that the change is taking place in light of the fact that these features are risky and coexist with problem gambling.”
No matter how much the players don’t like the new rules, Spelinspektonen is clear that they’re being implemented for their own good saying, “The purpose of the proposed changes is to strengthen the protection of players and to simplify licensees’ work with gambling responsibility by clarifying the requirements.”