Why is Online Gambling so Popular in Scandinavia?

by | Jun 30, 2020 | Travel Featured

The countries in Scandinavia have certainly embraced the world of online casinos. The people in these countries seem to have an online love affair with playing games and betting on sports online. They invest a significant amount of money in the activity.

The love has expanded in recent years, especially in Sweden where gambling was first legalised in the 1990s and online gambling started in 2002. There are still only a few land-based casinos in the country but playing casino games online is hugely popular. This is probably due to the cold weather in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland which often makes staying indoors a good idea and travelling to a land-based casino less popular.

The situation with online gambling in Scandinavian countries

Interestingly, individual Scandinavian countries have a different approach to online casinos and sports betting. Let’s take a closer look at this.

Finland

Online gambling is legal in Finland and is controlled under a monopoly. That being said, enthusiasts in the country are able to play at offshore online casinos. They have access to sites where they can find the best nettikasino, which means online casino in the Finnish language.

Sweden

While gambling in Sweden has been legal since 1994, people have only been able to visit online casinos since 2002. Until recently, there has been a state monopoly of online gaming in the country. This has now started to change, thanks to pressure from the EU Commission.

Norway

Online gambling is not legal in Norway. This means that companies do not operate online casinos within the country. However, Norwegians can spend money playing and betting at online casinos that are based outside of the country. This is the case as long as the casino is licensed by a member state of the European Union or European Economic Area.

Denmark

In Denmark, online gambling is legal. However, operators need to be licensed by the Danish Gambling Authority. There are two different types of license that can be provided; an online casino license and a betting license. The betting license enables online and offline betting.

Why Scandinavians like to play at online casinos

There are several reasons why Scandinavians like to play online casino games and bet on sports.  Like any other gambling enthusiasts, they enjoy the sense of excitement and fun that they get.

Scandinavians also have more disposable income than people in other countries. This is because average salaries are higher. There is a better standard of living in Scandinavia than in many other parts of the world and people are happy to spend money on leisure activities such as gambling.

It’s estimated that in Norway casino players spend an average of around $390 per month. In Finland, the average is estimated to be around $495 per month. These are significant amounts of money for people to spend.

The future of online gambling in Scandinavia

The future of online gambling in Scandinavia seems likely to be healthy. This is especially due to the fact that the state monopoly on gambling in Sweden seems to be coming to an end. Public companies are able to operate in the country now. This is helping to expand the number of opportunities available to fans of online gambling in Sweden.

Of course, the technological advances which are helping to shape online casinos across the world will also make a difference in Scandinavia. These advances include an expansion of the live casino experience with the increased use of VR likely to happen. Mobile casino offerings will also continue to improve. This is good news for smartphone users in Scandinavia. This amounts to more than 8.5 million people in Sweden alone.

There is no doubt that there is great enthusiasm for online casinos in Scandinavia. Their use has grown substantially in popularity in recent years. This trend is likely to continue as changes in the gambling landscape in Sweden have a positive impact. Scandinavians will also relish the opportunity to enjoy the improvements that technology can make to their online casino experience. It will be interesting to take another look at the online casino landscape in Scandinavia in a few years and see how it has continued to develop.