The Swedish government has appointed Johan Röhr, currently chief legal officer of the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA), as acting director general of the regulator.
His appointment will take effect on 1 November and will remain in place until a permanent successor is named.
Röhr has served as Spelinspektionen’s legal counsel since 2008 and previously held several judicial roles, including a period at the Court of Appeal in Stockholm.
His appointment follows the departure of Camilla Rosenberg, who will step down on 31 October after leading the authority since 2017. Rosenberg will go on to become director and head of the Swedish Real Estate Agents’ Inspection Authority.
During her tenure, she oversaw a period of regulatory change in Sweden’s gambling sector, including the development of licensing systems and enforcement mechanisms against unlicenced operators.
The transition comes as the SGA carries out a consultation on proposed regulatory updates, which Röhr will now oversee temporarily.
Among the draft measures is a requirement for operators to use more detailed credentials, such as Actor IDs and API keys, when registering new players.
The aim is to ensure stricter checks against Spelpaus, Sweden’s self-exclusion register, in order to strengthen consumer protection.
Changes necessary to support legal gambling
While the regulator acknowledged that the reforms would lead to additional compliance costs for licenced operators, it described the measures as pragmatic rather than burdensome.
The changes are intended to add safeguards for vulnerable players while reinforcing the integrity of the national exclusion system.
In parallel, Spelinspektionen has stepped up enforcement action against unlicenced gambling firms.
Two Curaçao-based operators, Ryker and Bitx Operations, were recently prohibited from targeting the Swedish market.
Their Jackbit and Playbet brands had been accessible to Swedish users and offered services in the Swedish language without authorisation.
These enforcement actions were announced alongside concerns over channelisation levels in the Swedish market. The regulator reported last week that 85% of gambling activity in 2024 occured through licensed operators, falling short of its stated 90% target.
The disparity is most evident in the online casino segment, where channelisation is estimated at just 72-82%. Industry groups have argued that unlicensed platforms undermine the regulated system and exacerbate risks for players.
The developments reinforce the need for Spelinspektionen to provide more structure to the legal gambling space.
With Röhr stepping in as acting head, the authority is expected to continue tightening its regulatory framework while navigating the challenges posed by unlicensed operators and evolving industry demands.
