Swedes in the lockdown are turning to horse-racing, not online casinos, according to the Swedish Tax Agency.The April statistics saw a sharp decline in sports betting for obvious reasons, but the upward swing in betting on horses between March and April is very marked.
The upswing hit 37 per cent, says the authority and sales for companies offering betting on horses is at the highest since the Swedish legislation came into force.
A spokesman for LeoVegas Mobile Gaming Group said: “ The reported figures confirm that the players have changed their behaviour as a result of the current pandemic.
There has been a clear movement of the playing of sports games for betting on horses, while the games on online casino have not increased, which is in stark contrast to what the social security authorities state.”
The company points out that in order that a responsible and well-functioning Swedish gaming market can exist, a decision had to be based upon facts.
“Misguided and poorly founded restrictions threaten to move gambling from the safe licensed gambling operators to unlicensed operators, outside the control of the gaming legislation.”
The statistics come from the five largest players in the Swedish licensed market, but do not include any figures for the Swedish funds gained by unlicensed companies.
