Gaming issues

Carl Nordblom (M)

Madam Speaker! For many people, gambling constitutes a pastime, entertainment, and a social context. Gambling is also associated with, for example, a sport or an interest in sports or trotting. For many people, gambling is also a way to support the local sports club, contribute to community life, and in some cases contribute to charity. Gambling in the form of so-called gaming can also, in addition to entertainment, be a sport, an artistic expression, and a context for knowledge and learning.

The gaming industry in Sweden constitutes a large industry driven by entrepreneurs and business owners and provides jobs, tax revenues, growth and, not least, large economic contributions to civil society and the horse industry.

There are many positive aspects to highlight regarding this industry, but just like other industries, the gaming industry also has its challenges. When games are abused, they can create suffering and devastation for many people.

The government has previously presented initiatives that increased opportunities for gambling companies to access personal data to counteract gambling addiction and greater opportunities for the gambling companies to analyze gambling patterns and gambling behavior among their customers, which gives them a better opportunity to, within the framework of the duty of care, be able to offer support and help faster, more broadly, and better.

A mandate has also been given to the Gambling Authority against the background that more knowledge is needed on why people withdraw from gambling.

Gaming issues

In order for us to continue to see gambling as a pastime, entertainment, and a way to support Swedish sports and associations, we must continue to work towards maintaining and developing a sound and regulated gambling market.

The Government has previously given the Gambling Authority the opportunity to block payments to and from unlicensed gambling operators in a more efficient manner. The Government has also given the Gambling Authority the opportunity to carry out gambling purchases with so-called hidden identity. The Government has also previously decided that payment service providers are obliged to provide information to the Gambling Authority regarding unlicensed gambling.

It is also positive and pleasing that the government has proposed measures against match-fixing to combat the criminal elements that exploit the gambling industry. Match-fixing can never be accepted, and that criminals take the liberty to destroy and create insecurity within sports shall be combated harshly and clearly. Here, the government has, among other things, proposed and introduced that gambling companies and sports federations may process personal data in an expanded way, as well as that gambling companies become obliged to hand over data to the police to facilitate investigations into crimes.

We will also soon vote in favor of the government's proposal on strengthened consumer protection in the gambling market. Among other things, a written requirement is introduced for telephone sales of gambling. Gambling companies with a Swedish gambling license shall be granted the right to access personal data regarding finances and health that the players themselves have provided in order to be able to counteract excessive gambling. Increased sanction fees will also be introduced for gambling companies that violate the money laundering act. This, I believe, Madam Speaker, will increase the control over the gambling market.

Madam Speaker! The Government prioritizes and works hard to ensure that the Swedish gambling market continues to be sound and regulated - free from abuse, criminal elements, and indebtedness. I believe that many of the parties in the Riksdag stand behind this line on the issue. In my opinion, it remains of great importance that the broad parliamentary support that existed for the deregulation of the gambling market is safeguarded and that the cross-bloc dialogue and cooperation continues for order and clarity in the Swedish gambling market.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! It is pleasing to hear the Moderates talk about e-sports and gaming even if this is mostly handled in the sports report, which I am very happy about and have campaigned for.

I have another, very simple question for the Moderates and the government, which also has consequences for the legislation. It goes as follows: Do pinball games consist predominantly of luck or skill?

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Carl Nordblom (M)

Madam Speaker! I must actually admit that this is a question that I need to have a bit more knowledge about before I comment, so I will return to the member after the debate.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! I am very much looking forward to that. The problem we have with flipper gaming today is, in fact, that according to the legislation and the Swedish Tax Agency's interpretation, it is counted as something involving luck. Nevertheless, we see that it is approximately the same players who win the SM every year, so it works a bit like for Stenmark - the more they train, the more luck they have.

But this also has the effect that one cannot distribute prize money. The game is treated as a lottery, which is very problematic, even though it is not a game of chance but a game of skill, just like any sport.

I therefore look forward to the Moderaterna, Carl Nordblom and the government returning to this and correcting this mistake from the legislator's and the Swedish Tax Agency's side.

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Carl Nordblom (M)

Madam Speaker! It may be a bit early in the morning for me. But Rickard Nordin is completely right; I am aware of this problem now that he describes it a bit more closely. Yes, it is absolutely a problem that e-sports are classified as gambling or something involving luck. I am also aware that there is concern that one might not be able to pay out prize money in the future at, for example, video game or pinball tournaments. We must continue the dialogue.

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Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! "Sweden is usually counted as one of the world's top ten countries in game development. But the game industry has grown up like a dandelion through the asphalt without any national strategy or major public investments." This is how the situation in Sweden is described in the report Kraftsamling Dataspelsbranschen, published by Rise in January 2023.

Madam Speaker! The video game industry in Sweden generates large sums of money - over 27 billion kronor, that is, in the same order of magnitude as the export of iron ore. The industry employs over 8,000 people, and there are over 800 active game companies in Sweden, most of them small businesses. Swedish games such as Minecraft are gaining ground worldwide.

But the gaming industry describes it at the same time as that Sweden now risks falling behind. Other countries are launching strategies and investing heavily in various types of support systems. Sweden should nurture the golden egg it has and develop a national strategy for video games. Norway launched such a strategy in 2019, which is now under revision and which we from Miljöpartiet believe could serve as inspiration for a Swedish strategy. Within the framework of such a strategy, issues such as support systems, skills supply, accessibility, broadened participation, and opportunities for children and young people to get in contact with game creation at an early age would be addressed.

Madam Speaker! Miljöpartiet appointed the investigation Kreativa Sverige to the government, which was to submit proposals for a unified national strategy aimed at promoting long-term and sustainable development of the cultural and creative industries across the entire country. This is currently under parallel handling in the Riksdag, but I want to say in this context that we would have gladly seen more concrete initiatives and provisions regarding specifically game development in that strategy.

We see, for example, that Sweden could do more when it comes to promoting exports within games but also within other creative industries. Therefore, we have a motion in this report, Madam Speaker, which aims at developing an institute for cultural and creative industries where the promotion of games would be an important part.

Just as has been mentioned here from the rostrum, issues concerning gaming culture are addressed in somewhat different reports - both in the sports report and the culture report.

Madam Speaker! In this report, we also address the government's bill on measures to strengthen consumer protection and combat criminal activity in connection with gambling for money. Here, the Green Party wants to emphasize the importance of continuous follow-up to ensure that the legislation in the gambling area is sufficient to counteract the negative effects that gambling can have on public health.

It is important that we have a clear regulatory framework to limit, as far as possible, the problems that we know surround gambling for money. It concerns everything from debt to addiction but also, as we unfortunately know is the case, that unscrupulous gambling companies try to lure people into addiction and that criminal actors in various ways earn money on the gambling market. We must, of course, do what we can to avoid this, Madam Speaker.

We stand behind what is proposed in the bill regarding strengthening consumer protection in the gambling area and protecting players against excessive gambling in that way, by providing the possibility to process personal data in a slightly more open manner. The bill also proposes that the sanction fee for violations of the money laundering act committed by a gambling provider shall be adjusted, with the aim of combating criminal activity in connection with gambling for money. We in Miljöpartiet think this is good, Madam Speaker.

The government also proposes that a written requirement should be introduced for telephone sales of gambling. We also consider this to be a reasonable step to take.

However, we have joined the Left Party's motion regarding how the administrative costs of public benefit lotteries linked to the licensing process should be reduced. When different types of changes are made to the gambling legislation, Madam Speaker, it risks affecting civil society with increased administration, and it can cost money in different ways. The differences are very large between public benefit non-profit activities and the large profit-driven companies when it comes to fulfilling this regulatory framework.

Here we mean, just as the Left Party proposes in its motion, that one should review the negative consequences of the proposals one establishes for reasonable reasons and reduce the costs for the public service license holders in other ways. We think it is important to continue to consider this in the gaming policy moving forward.

Madam Speaker! Miljöpartiet also supports the Centerpartiet's motion on the regulation of restaurant casinos. There is an exception today for license holders of restaurant casinos. We share Centerpartiet's view that it is not reasonable that there should be a lack of regulation for such a clear part of the gambling market, which also actually risks causing people to become trapped in different types of gambling addiction.

Madam Speaker! We also maintain what we have previously highlighted in these debates, namely that there is a need to introduce requirements for moderation in the marketing of games and that that requirement should be tightened. We have discussed this in previous debates, but it is important to emphasize it now as well.

Madam Speaker! When it comes to political parties' lotteries, we want to point out once again that we are dismayed by the Tidö Government's handling of this issue. It has previously been said here in the speaker's chair that it is important to have broad cross-bloc discussions and agreements in the gambling area. It is unfortunate that the Tidö Government breaks that tradition when it comes to political parties' lotteries.

The Social Democrats are the only party that has a substantial income from public utility lotteries today. To proceed and refer a proposal to actually ban these is remarkable and risks weakening the opposition's ability to act. It is one thing to have views on the regulation or on individual detailed proposals, but we believe that this issue should have been handled completely differently from the beginning. Do it again, and do it right, the government!

With that, I move for approval of the Miljöpartiets reservation 22, even though we, of course, stand behind all our motions in this report.

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Peter Ollén (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Amanda Lind for the speech.

I intended to speak specifically about the gaming institute, which has been started in Denmark. In Sweden, we have a well-functioning organization within the gaming industry, and they work very well. We also saw it last week when Uppdrag granskning took up the problem with influencers who encouraged large in-game purchases in an illegal way. Dreamhack, which is the largest actor, stepped in directly and acted by banning influencers from participating in upcoming activities they have and clarified that all such references to purchases in games must not occur in their context.

One can see that when we have something that is not state-regulated, when we have an industry that works independently and acts on its own, they can work much faster than if it has to go through something that is state-regulated. I also think, given the development we saw for state film policy and how it then led to a decline in watching Swedish film, that one should primarily work and focus on the industry itself creating its institutes and what they work with. Then we have a good partner from politics to be able to work with. It gives a completely different flexibility and a speed for the industry to move compared to when it is regulated by us.

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Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! I may not have fully grasped the question from Peter Ollén. When we propose a national strategy for games, it is something that the video game industry itself also considers would be a good step to take. It also applies, I understand, if we were to establish a national institute aimed at strengthening export opportunities. It is something that we can see several countries have.

We were on a study trip to South Korea where we could see how they work very offensively, naturally in collaboration with the industry, to strengthen the export opportunities for the creative industries. We are not, of course, going to go in and regulate in detail in this area. Again: The Swedish gaming industry is fantastic and has grown significantly through its own initiatives and its own drive. However, it is important to see which gaps we from the public sector can fill that would lubricate that work more.

When it comes to regulation within gaming, we have a motion from the Miljöpartiet side that I did not take up in my speech. It concerns consumer protection within certain video games, which the member also touched upon in his reply. Sweden has a marketing law that is clear that misleading methods are not permitted. This naturally also applies within video games. There is also a self-regulatory system within the market. What we in Miljöpartiet mean is that there may be a need to still review legislation and regulation to ensure that there are no loopholes in this law.

Just as with all types of games, we do not want any gambling-like elements or aggressive marketing that is misleading to occur, not even within gaming. This is a matter for an investigation. We absolutely must not over-regulate anything, but just as we are discussing here, consumer protection is an important issue.

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Peter Ollén (M)

Madam Speaker! I will stick to video games, which is the area that I am looking at.

In Norway, the state intervened early, and I would say that they stifled rather than helped the industry. In Denmark, one sees that Sweden is moving incredibly fast forward in this area, and they say that they must do something to help.

In Sweden, we see how the industry itself has created its institutions and how they operate. Therefore, it is positive as it looks now, that we let the industry itself work with its organizations and that we instead have a close dialogue with them.

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Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! If I interpret the members' comments positively, it seems that we have a common commitment to these issues and to how we can ensure that the gaming industry in Sweden remains strong in the future as well.

We see how other countries are pumping in different types of support and structures to perhaps partially catch up with Sweden, which has been successful for a long time. Here I mean that we must listen carefully to what the industry itself says. There have been and are requests from the industry for increased state and public engagement in video game issues, and I mean that we should listen to this. A national strategy and a national institute, to also support existing initiatives, could be such steps.

I hope the member does not mean that we should sit and watch passively, because I do not think that would be good. But we should listen to the industry and take their views into account. Miljöpartiet's motion is also in line with what the industry desires.

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Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! I move for approval of the committee's proposal and rejection of the motions. The Government wants to limit the problems that exist regarding gambling for money, which often causes addiction and debt. Gambling should be a pastime and is just that for many, but for far too many, gambling for money is devastating.

In this speech, I want to focus on the gambling companies' aggressive marketing, which affects families, relatives, and society at large in a destructive way. It is primarily the online games that constitute the greatest allure and ruin for players.

I was part of a parliamentary group that developed a licensing of gambling companies in Sweden. The gambling companies, which were in a market that was likened to the Wild West, were to be regulated, and it was to be ensured that the marketing became moderate, as it is called.

To me, the marketing from the gambling companies today appears more sophisticated than before. They try to demonstrate community and context where winnings are within reach. The companies use various celebrities to lure more people to gambling. They also use safety factors such as dialects and cozy surroundings in the advertisements.

Approximately 340,000 Swedes have some degree of gambling-related problems, and 165,000 people live in households where some family member has gambling problems. It is estimated that approximately 70,000 of these people are children. To this can be added parents, neighbors, colleagues, close friends and relatives who are unconsciously drawn into the gambling issues.

Billions are invested in gambling advertising, which is seen by TV companies and evening newspapers as an important source of income that they do not want to be without. We encounter it every day, all the time, in TV commercials and in newspapers. One might think that they could take greater responsibility and not just accept advertising because they make money from it. Many report that they have been lured into gambling because of TV advertising and newspaper advertising.

Madam Speaker! It should be a pleasure to play. That is the very idea. It should be fun and exciting. Buying a lottery ticket now and then creates a certain excitement in life. But many gambling companies are downright ruthless in their marketing - not all, but very many. They do not seem to care much about the well-being of people and families.

There is something called spelpaus.se, and it is something positive. It is a voluntary exclusion system for gambling in Sweden that Spelinspektionen has introduced. Through spelpaus.se, users can exclude themselves from gambling and block direct marketing. This applies to all licensed gambling companies in Sweden.

When a player excludes themselves on spelpaus.se, which shall be available at all online casinos with a Swedish gambling license, the person is excluded from all types of gambling for a certain period. There is no possibility to exclude oneself from only one gambling company, but instead, one is excluded from all Swedish gambling companies that have a license. This therefore applies to gambling advertising.

Now, over 100,000 people have blocked themselves at spelpaus.se, and that is naturally positive. One decides for oneself how long one wants to be blocked. It can be a month, three months, six months or indefinitely - that one decides entirely for oneself. If one is to play again, one must go in and register again.

I think it is positive with spelpaus.se, but it only applies to gambling companies with a Swedish license. There are a number of companies that lie outside the Swedish jurisdiction and which operate based on foreign rules. Maybe one shouldn't say it, but it happens that spelpaus.se and the Swedish gambling companies are bypassed and that one enters the foreign ones instead.

The tragedy is the same for those who are affected. Gambling addiction takes hold of a person, and one does not get out of it but must play to win again. One plays and believes that one will win. One loses, and then one must win back what one has lost. Yes, you understand – it is a terrible situation for the one who falls into gambling addiction. I want to warn everyone who is heading into this – try to break it as soon as possible!

Since we also have, as previous members have mentioned, restaurant casinos, which lack a regulatory framework. In that way, one can play at a casino - restaurant casino - without any regulation or registration at all. There is truly an opportunity to do something moving forward here.

We Christian Democrats have a parliamentary decision to review the marketing and, in the long run, also to review the possibility of banning aggressive marketing. This is something that I will fight for. I do so out of consideration for all the vulnerable - all those with gambling addictions but also their relatives, families, colleagues, and others - who are affected because of aggressive marketing. We Christian Democrats will combat the dark elements in the marketing of gambling in our country, with consideration for precisely the most vulnerable.

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Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to Member Roland Utbult for the speech and for highlighting the issues surrounding the aggressive gambling market, which draws more and more people, not least young people, into gambling addiction.

I am therefore a bit surprised and would like to take the opportunity to ask Roland Utbult why one chooses not to stand behind the proposal for more moderate marketing of games. Roland Utbult paints this picture of the marketing and what it entails, how it reaches children and young people, and how it pulls those who have a gambling addiction even deeper into gambling abuse.

Such a proposal was presented by the previous S-led government, but the current government chose not to proceed with it and rejected the part on moderation. How do KD and Roland Utbult defend that?

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Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, Azadeh Rojhan!

I am glad that we share the compassion for people who fall into gambling addiction. It is impossible to describe the tragedy that it involves. It is impossible. It is so terribly bad for those who are affected, and one simply wishes that each of these should get out of this addiction.

I sat in the parliamentary group, and moderation is included in the regulations that apply to the gambling companies. What was concluded was that moderation, unlike specific moderation according to the jurists, has a greater possibility of being handled in the legal proceedings.

Moderation is therefore included in the development of the regulation.

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Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! We share the sympathy, but we apparently do not share the conviction that we need to take all possible measures to curb the increased gambling addiction that we see in our society. The specific moderation that would create more space to address precisely that aggressive marketing, which Roland Utbult himself portrayed very well in his speech, was voted down, and KD was part of the decision.

The specific moderation we wanted to introduce would ensure that this marketing does not reach children and young people. It was about how the marketing should be designed so as not to portray games involving money as something attractive, and it would protect more people from precisely this advertising and marketing. I believed that what Roland Utbult wanted and desired with his speech was precisely to see measures to address this problem.

If particular moderation is not the right way to go, what other solutions does Roland Utbult see to address exactly the problematics that he himself describes so well?

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Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! Now I understand the question a bit better. The moderation that was asked about earlier is included in the regulation, but now there is talk of specific moderation. It is true that we have rejected just this.

The reason why "moderation" is used and not "particular moderation" is that moderation, according to the lawyers, would be simpler to handle in the legal proceedings. It was more flexible. I am not a lawyer, but that was the reasoning that was put forward.

We in the Christian Democrats have a parliamentary decision stating that we should review aggressive marketing. In the long run, we also want to see if it is possible to ban this aggressive marketing.

From our side, it is therefore completely clear: We will do everything to mitigate it. Moderation or specific moderation is, in a sense, just words. In legal terms, it was said that moderation was more flexible and easier to handle than specific moderation.

We must trust the law and what Håkan Hallstedt and other lawyers have concluded. I feel quite secure in this despite everything.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! Roland Utbult from Kristdemokraterna spoke a lot about the gambling break, and it is a very important instance. Just as the member described, it only applies to licensed operators. One cannot turn off unlicensed operators, as they are not included in this.

There is, however, a way around that problem. The Centre Party has submitted a proposal that one should be able to block one's own bank card against transfers to different types of gambling sites. By doing so at the bank, one will thus bypass the problem that unlicensed operators are not included.

My question is whether this is something the Christian Democrats can imagine supporting, given that they themselves raised the issue. In that case, when will we see a proposal from the government?

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Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member Nordin, for the question!

The proposal that Member Nordin is making sounds exciting. However, we have not brought up this matter of blocking the bank card.

I simply take it as a proposal to look at, because I experience that the members of the Cultural Committee share the sympathy for people and families who happen to be so poorly off.

We must look at all conceivable proposals. Spelpaus is good. It is over 100,000 who press that button, which is very good. Blocking the bank card is something we have to look at in the future.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the kind answer! I think I will simply make sure that I remember it for next year's debate and hold Roland Utbult to account if he has actually looked at the proposal by then, when he now received it so kindly.

We will therefore have to return next year and see what the outcome has been.

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Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! I feel the pressure from Member Nordin to look at this, so I must naturally do so. The gambling issues will surely come up as a matter again next spring.

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Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! It has already been stated several times from the rostrum that Sweden is a fantastic gaming country. It is very exciting to see that Sweden has become an internationally recognized gaming country and is developing some of the most successful video games in the world. This is something that we Social Democrats would like to see develop, and we would like to see how it can be promoted even further.

The technical advances and increased digitalization, which are an important part of game development, have changed how we play. This has also changed how we play for money. Today, with a few button presses on the mobile phone, we can play at a casino at all hours of the day, and with a few more button presses, we can easily obtain money to play with.

This development gained momentum during the 2010s when more and more foreign gaming companies began targeting Swedish players. Since then, a number of political measures have been taken to update the regulations to today's digital reality. Among other things, the Swedish gambling monopoly was abolished in 2019, and a new licensing system was introduced. This licensing system has led to the political debate in recent years instead primarily focusing on gambling advertising and reinforced consumer protection.

In January 2022, the Social Democratic government presented a new legislative proposal regarding gambling advertising, particularly for those games that are most addictive and that risk reaching children and young people. The proposal concerned moderate marketing, which means that the marketing shall not portray gambling for money as something socially attractive or imply that gambling contributes to social success. Nor shall there be any insinuations that gambling for money can be an alternative to work, a solution to financial problems, or a form of financial investment.

Regrettably, the current government chose to reject that proposal. Kristina Axén Olin, who participated in the chamber debate when we handled the proposal, said that practice had finally begun to fall into place, that one saw moderate marketing from the gambling companies, and that it therefore did not feel serious to change the law once again. She also said that a majority in the Culture Committee thought it was better to wait until the previous legislation, which applied from 2019, would have full effect and that one would see that it worked.

Here we stand today, one and a half years later. Do the government parties and SD still believe that we should wait and see if the current legislation works?

Madam Speaker! Do we Social Democrats believe that stricter requirements for the marketing of gambling is the only way to counter increased gambling addiction in Sweden? No, but it is absolutely an important step. The Public Health Agency's figures show that 75 percent of 16-17-year-olds are reached by gambling advertisements during a week. Furthermore, 34 percent of 16-17-year-olds state that they have gambled for money during the past year. It is naive not to see the correlation between these figures.

We Social Democrats therefore stand by our proposal for an adjusted requirement for moderation in the marketing of games, where an assessment is made of how risky the game is for developing gambling problems and to what extent the marketing risks reaching persons under 18 years of age.

Unfortunately, the figures show that gambling for money is increasing among young people and that more and more are experiencing problems with their gambling. Not too infrequently, gambling addiction leads to these young people also becoming deeply in debt. The incredible stigma surrounding gambling abuse also causes many to wait far too long to seek help, which further worsens their situation.

After the restructuring of the gambling market in 2019, the legislation has been progressively tightened to limit the unlicensed part of the market. Unfortunately, it is often to this—the unlicensed market—that a gambling addict seeks out after having excluded themselves via a gambling break. Since the turn of the year, it has been prohibited to promote illegal gambling by, for example, advertising unlicensed gambling companies or offering payment solutions to sites without a Swedish license. Spelinspektionen has also received greater powers to investigate and intervene on its own, but so far this has not occurred.

The unlicensed gambling market is a major problem, and it is driving more and more young people into gambling addiction. There are currently not sufficient measures to address this. We Social Democrats are open to reviewing, together with the government, what other measures need to be taken to reduce and curb the gambling problem in our society.

Madam Speaker! This report also deals with motions concerning the public benefit lotteries. Games for public benefit purposes means games that are operated by a non-profit association or a registered religious community with the support of a special license. Today, the public benefit lotteries are one of the primary sources of income for parts of Swedish civil society. Here is the sports movement's lottery activities, the Breast Cancer Association, Postkodlotteriet, the Swedish Association of the Deaf, and the Federation of Village Halls. Here is also the labor movement's lottery activities.

A year ago, the Sweden Democrats and the government began work to choke off the opposition's funding, or to choke off the Social Democrats' funding. Recently, the results of the investigation commissioned at that time were presented. It is stated there that confidence in the political parties has not been affected by the parties' ability to conduct public benefit lotteries. Despite this, the government does not rule out a ban.

Madam Speaker! I may be a Social Democrat, and of course, it is impossible to have this debate without it appearing as if I am arguing solely from my own interest. But I am, in fact, first and foremost a democrat. However we turn and twist this issue, it is difficult to escape the fact that this is an attempt to weaken the largest opposition party.

The attempt to choke off the largest opposition party's funding is rooted in a dangerous idea that any means are acceptable to silence opponents. It is a dangerous and undemocratic path that the government, accelerated by SD, has embarked upon.

I cannot help but be surprised by the lack of self-confidence among these parties. That SD is driving this issue is not surprising, but the Moderaterna, Liberalerna, and Kristdemokraterna? Where is the faith in their own policies and in their own solutions to the problems in society? You also hold the government power right now. You have succeeded in that despite the fact that we Socialdemokrater have a funding that comes from lottery activities.

Have confidence! Take the fight with us! Take the fight in the ideologically driven debate instead!

It is sometimes claimed in this debate that this is about transparency, so let me be clear: We Social Democrats believe that all party funding should be transparent, and we also act accordingly. Transparency is important to maintain trust in the parties. We are always open to rectifying any deficiencies regarding transparency.

Madam Speaker! We Social Democrats are a people's movement. For over 130 years, we have stood up for our conviction of a more equal and and solidary society. That is something SD seems to forget when they say we would have a shorter and poorer May Day march if our lottery activities were stopped and our funding thus weakened. Our members and sympathizers do not march on May Day for payment, but they do it because we are a workers' movement with a conviction of all people's equal value.

I understand that SD wants to stop the "sosseri". It is frightening that we Social Democrats have over 100,000 members who have actively taken a stand for an ideology that daily takes the fight against SD's politics, which stems from an undemocratic ideology and makes distinctions between people.

Our struggle is rooted in our conviction and in our ideology - not in which source of funding we have.

I stand behind our specific statement and all our reservations. I move, however, for approval only of reservation 16.

(Applause)

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Carl Nordblom (M)

Madam Speaker! One is equally surprised every time the Social Democrats themselves want to debate the issue of political lotteries. If I myself had been a Social Democrat and this question had arisen, I would probably have wanted to avoid it. I would probably have joked a bit about how the Social Democrats have handled their own lotteries throughout history.

I think it is important that parties and politicians in a democratic country like Sweden do not attribute advantages and benefits to themselves that other parts of society do not have. Why should the Social Democrats be exempt from the legislation? Why do the Social Democrats become so terribly provoked by the fact that they themselves will have to pay tax when they have, for decades, burdened Swedish wage earners and companies with the world's highest tax pressure?

(Applause)

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Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! I am not ashamed to stand up for my party and for the democratic values that are important to me and my party.

This is not an attack on the Social Democrats; it is an attack on civil society. The Social Democrats, like all other political parties, are fundamentally non-profit associations. Today, the government, accelerated by SD, is attacking a political party's financing. But it is a dangerous path to take, because what comes next? Which other associations will have their funding choked off because they are opponents of the government and SD? This is an attack on democracy.

I am not ashamed at all. But I wonder: Is Carl Nordblom ashamed, who considers this to be a way to attack opponents? Does Carl Nordblom not trust that the Moderaternas policy is enough to convince the voters?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Carl Nordblom (M)

Madam Speaker! Just to clarify for everyone listening: This has nothing to do with civil society or civil society's lotteries. I believe many think it is a bit strange that, for example, the Social Democrats should be allowed to sell lottery tickets on credit when we all must take responsibility for combating debt due to gambling.

Madam Speaker! The member of Parliament speaks of attacks on democracy and silencing opponents. One wonders if the member is joking. It sounds like she is debating against a Republican in the American Congress. I believe that the vast majority think it is reasonable that we have transparent party financing in Sweden, and I suspect the member also thinks so deep down.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! Did the Moderates and SD reason in the same way when they started party lotteries? Where was this reasoning then? Was it not okay to have lotteries then either? Or did opinions change when the lotteries were no longer of interest to the Moderates and SD?

The Social Democrats want transparency, so let us together review all forms of party financing. Let us scrutinize the system and see if there are gaps in transparency regarding the parties' financial situation. The Social Democrats have no problem with that.

But this proposal is about precisely targeting a party's financing, and it is an attack on democracy.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Robert Hannah (L)

Madam Speaker! Gambling and betting is an amusement for many, but for some, it can lead to addiction involving lifelong debt. Illegal gambling activity is also an important source of income for criminal networks and a common way for them to launder their dirty money from, for example, thefts. It is from this problem area that the regulation of the Swedish gambling market must take place.

For all too long, the Swedish gambling market has been too weakly regulated. There have been major problems with match-fixing, and gambling companies and lotteries have been able to earn money in questionable ways all too easily. The Liberals therefore want to see a ban on credit loans for gambling.

Since the bourgeois government took office in 2022, much has happened in the gambling area. Thanks to the bourgeois government, new rules on match-fixing have been introduced. New rules have also been introduced that prevent game developers from cooperating with unlicensed gambling companies.

Madam Speaker! That politics is a marathon that requires patience, Barbro Westerholm used to often say to me, and I have had patience in this matter. But today, the fast track for the Social Democrats' lotteries, the A-lotteries, is being removed.

Through the Liberals' Birgitta Ohlsson, the Alliance appointed an inquiry which was completed in 2015 and which proposed the introduction of a written requirement for all telephone sales. But when the Social Democrats finally moved forward with the Alliance's inquiry in 2018, they chose, unsurprisingly, to exempt lottery sales from the written requirement.

Madam Speaker! Already in 2018, when I was a member of the Committee on Civil Affairs, a majority of the committee directed a motion to the government that the new written requirement for telephone sales should also apply to public utility lotteries. It was a disgrace that the Social Democrats in 2018 chose to serve their own interest of making money from lotteries instead of protecting the elderly - this despite the fact that 96 percent of the Swedish people wanted a comprehensive written requirement for telephone sales. We bourgeois parties, including the Center Party, voted for this in the chamber despite the fact that we are usually against requirements and prohibitions. But this was important.

Morgan Johansson and the Social Democrats refused to comply with the Riksdag's announcement from 2018 for a full four years, until they lost the election in 2022. Then a new government came, and today, thanks to the Moderate-led government, the Riksdag will vote through a law which means that all companies that sell via telephone in Sweden will be subject to a written requirement. Tutti.

Furthermore, the government is presenting today legislative changes regarding the processing of personal data, which improves the duty of care for gambling companies. It is about protecting the players' lives, health, and finances. More measures may come to improve the support for gambling addicts.

The government is primarily focusing on the unlicensed gambling companies. That is where the focus lies because we know that it is there that people with gambling addiction play. More proposals aimed at just these companies will probably come.

Madam Speaker! I vote in favor of the committee's proposal and against the reservations.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Vasiliki Tsouplaki (V)

Madam Speaker! Gambling involves very large sums, and a majority of the population, 56 percent, report having gambled during the last year. For the vast majority, it is something that creates a little excitement in everyday life when one scratches a lottery ticket or bets a small amount on the outcome of a sporting event, but for some, gambling unfortunately turns into something filled with anxiety, with large losses and difficulties in stopping as a consequence.

The avalanche of online casinos that has popped up in recent years offers games and regulations designed to entice increased gambling. I am pleased that the work with reinforced supervision, stricter regulation, and increased opportunities to stop unlicensed companies, which the previous government worked on, has been taken over by the current government. That said, there are still more issues to handle, for example regarding match-fixing, overly widespread gambling advertising, which has been discussed here previously, lax regulations for restaurant casinos, and increased gambling among young people.

But today I will focus on the conditions for lotteries. In June 2018, the Committee on Civil Affairs issued a referral to the government regarding extended requirements for written agreements in telephone sales. The issue was investigated in a follow-up, and it was stated that there were no significant concerns regarding debt or gambling addiction linked to lottery activities, which is the only form of gambling where telephone sales are relevant today. It is not a high-risk game, and lottery subscriptions are easy to cancel for those who regret an agreement made over the phone. This is also stated by the government in the bill we are now debating – even if it may sound a bit different from the government representatives here and now.

Despite the fact that there are no significant concerns regarding the telephone sales of lotteries, we in Vänsterpartiet conclude that there are good reasons to introduce a written requirement in the way the government proposes. There is a pedagogical gain in having all telephone sales regulated in the same way, as it ensures that consumers know what to expect when they have been called by a telephone salesperson. One can, therefore, expect a written agreement when one has said yes.

Increased knowledge about this can be linked to uniform legislation. Ultimately, it can reduce consumers' vulnerability to fraud, which is a major problem.

Madam Speaker! The Government and the Sweden Democrats are unfortunately speaking with a divided tongue when they say they want to safeguard the interests of consumers. This year, they are removing all support for the organization Sveriges Konsumenter, which at a national level actively works to support the country's inhabitants against companies that in various ways abuse their position. The abolition of the support for Sveriges Konsumenter does not save any large sums for the state budget but appears to be an idea that follows the Tidö parties' agenda to weaken large parts of civil society where opinion-forming takes place and where they try to protect the interests of different groups.

Madam Speaker! In order for civil society to truly be able to be independent and act in the interests of its members and not be dependent on the goodwill of politicians, it is necessary to have funding from sources other than the public sector. It must therefore continue to be possible to operate activities such as lotteries, bingo halls, secondhand stores and cafes and to have simple sales at sports events. One should be able to offer coffee and perhaps sell a bun as well.

Lotteries contribute large sums every year to Swedish association life. The revenues are an important source of income that secures both the activities themselves and the independence of association life.

It becomes particularly important when we see how the government and the Sweden Democrats are cutting the grants to large parts of civil society. In addition to the consumer association that I just mentioned, support has also been withdrawn from ethnic organizations and peace organizations. Civil society's aid activities are being uprooted, and study associations, which finance the majority of Swedish educational activities, are also receiving reduced grants.

Madam Speaker! For us in Vänsterpartiet, it is important to safeguard good conditions for the public service lotteries. Ever since the gambling market was deregulated, we in Vänsterpartiet have maintained that the lotteries should not fall under the same regulatory framework as the large online casino companies because they are two completely different types of activities.

The fundamental difference that exists between non-profit public utility activities and a profit-driven company must also be reflected in the legislation. There is also reason to differentiate regulation based on how risky a game is. The forms of gambling that pose the greatest risk for gambling problems need to have stronger consumer protection and more controls.

This was something we largely agreed on across party lines. But then, in practice, when the whole thing is to be implemented, it has become a very extensive regulatory framework even for the smaller lotteries. What could previously be handled by inspectors at Lotteriinspektionen shall now be scrutinized by foreign certification companies, and then everything must be translated into Swedish. Several organizations have had to discontinue their lotteries due to million-dollar costs for this certification and licensing process.

Madam Speaker! It is against this background that one should understand that several referral bodies are turning against the introduction of a written requirement. It results in increased administration for the lotteries, and thus higher costs. It ultimately affects important non-profit activities, for example social interventions, children's and youth sports, activities for persons with disabilities, or research on various diseases.

The Left Party therefore wants to see that the negative consequences of the proposal - a proposal that we nevertheless stand behind - are offset by reducing the costs for the public service license holders in other ways.

With this, I wish to move for approval of reservation 14, which concerns just this question.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! For the vast majority, tipping and gambling is a fun hobby – something that makes watching the football match a bit more enjoyable or that provides an opportunity to dream about what would happen if one actually landed that million-dollar win.

But even if the great mass can manage their gambling at a good level, there is a group of people who do not quite manage to handle the situation. Actually, it is not one group, but it is two groups that one can divide them into. They are of course stereotypes, but they still summarize the whole thing quite well.

The classic image is the young man who sits at home and plays far too much on the internet or on slot machines in restaurants. But it is also about the older woman in a bingo hall, who perhaps does not gamble away millions but who already has limited resources from the start and plays far too much. She is often forgotten, and she is not caught by society in the same way. In the debate surrounding gambling addiction, this group must not be forgotten, and these individuals must be given the same opportunities for support and care as other gambling addicts. It is an important issue of equality.

That gambling addiction is now placed in the same category as alcohol and drug addiction in the psychological manual DSM-IV, which can hopefully accelerate the development of treatment methods. An important part is a gambling break, which we have talked about earlier here in the debate. The Christian Democrats highlighted this and explained very well what it entails. The Centre Party has submitted a proposal to expand this to also include bank transfers to unlicensed operators so that one can personally stop their gambling with other operators who are not regulated in the same way in Sweden.

Another way to protect the players is to curb match-fixing. It is criminal, and it of course constitutes a problem for both the sports and gambling worlds. Centerpartiet has motioned that Sweden should accede to the Macolin Convention against just match-fixing. It is a bit surprising that we have not already done so. The purpose of the convention is to combat manipulation of results within sports and to protect the independence of sports. A main goal is to prevent, detect, and intervene against national and cross-border manipulation of sports competitions. This is nothing that only happens in Sweden, but it often involves international networks.

When the convention entered into force, the government at that time took a positive stance, but since then nothing has happened – until now. Here I would like to take the opportunity to praise the sitting government. When it does good things, which in my opinion does not happen often enough, it should still be mentioned. The government has changed the rules of the game and informed the EU Commission that Sweden will hopefully join the convention soon. Well done!

The new gambling regulation, which involved the introduction of licensed operators and a gambling tax, has fundamentally functioned well. The channeling is relatively good, even though one could have wished that it were even better, and gambling with unregulated operators has decreased. Now that the regulation has been in force for a couple of years, one would also have wished that it could have been evaluated.

Should restaurant casinos still have exemptions even though this is a market that is growing? They were exempted because they were in decline, but now we see that the market is, on the contrary, growing again. In that case, it is reasonable that restaurant casinos are also incorporated, just as the Centerpartiet considers.

What does the channeling look like? Is it possible to do even more to make it even stronger, that is, so that one only plays with regulated actors and not with unlicensed ones? How do the players themselves experience the whole thing? It would have been incredibly interesting to know. Are they really treated equally by the companies, regardless of whether they win or lose? There are clear reports that the companies treat those who win preferentially, above all. They are allowed to play for smaller and smaller amounts, because it is, of course, about profit-driven actors. But from a consumer perspective, this is problematic for the players. There are simply quite a few questions that are worth studying more closely.

In that work, we in the Center Party particularly want to highlight the popular movements. The public benefit lotteries play an important role in society to finance civil society. In such a review, one can look at the importance of consumer information so that everyone knows who is behind a lottery. It should not just be a brand name, but one should get to know who owns and benefits from the lottery.

There is also a need to review the gambling regulations, perhaps especially the gambling tax. It hits quite differently - or the problem is rather that it hits very similarly, because it is exactly the same gambling tax on everything regardless of the risk level. It affects primarily horse sports and the trotting industry. When the government now raises the gambling tax, it means 200 million in reduced revenues for the trotting sport. It will of course be noticed for the horse industry, which accounts for quite many jobs and which also operates the country's trotting tracks.

It can simply be worth reviewing whether it is reasonable to have the same tax rate regardless of whether it is football, the horse industry, or online casinos. The Centre Party thinks it is worth considering a bit extra whether the gambling should have a higher tax rate and the slower, less risky games, for example the horse industry, a lower one.

In Sweden, we talk about "spel". It is a word with several meanings. It can refer to games of money, what English calls gambling, and games for amusement, what English calls gaming, for example, play, board games and video games.

Before this year's debate, we in the Center Party succeeded in getting the Culture Committee to move the questions regarding e-sports to that which concerns just sports and athletics. We have also, gladly, had the Swedish Sports Confederation realize that e-sport belongs to gaming and sports. Unfortunately, not all the questions followed along. We are still treating, among other things, a national gaming institute and prize money for gaming in this report. I hope that by next year we can move those questions over as well.

It is also pleasing that more and more parties are talking about e-sports in their speeches. I have been somewhat alone in doing so for quite a few years. It is great that more people have now opened their eyes to this incredibly large popular movement.

One of the proposals that remains in this report concerns a national games institute and a national games strategy. The games industry often suffers from being conflated with the industry that deals with gambling. Quite a few game developers have problems for that very reason. One does not receive funding or research funds in the same way, while at the same time having major challenges. Therefore, the industry itself also wants a games institute.

We have received a strategy from the government regarding cultural and creative industries. In that, video games are actually mentioned, but not nearly as much as these games actually deserve. They generate 35 billion every year, they pay 1.5 billion in corporate tax, and the number of employees is closer to 7,000. The Swedish gaming miracle is significantly larger than the Swedish music miracle.

Swedish game studios have succeeded incredibly well in the international competition, but now other countries are starting to catch up. Strategies and institutes have been established. Game industries all over the world receive support similar to the film industry, and large investments are being made in our neighboring countries to attract competence. It is time for Swedish industrial policy to wake up.

Establishing a strategy for gaming and the gaming industry is a first step. It would legitimize the industry and open doors to research funds and other things from external actors, just as has happened in Denmark. Furthermore, the gaming industry needs to receive the same opportunities for funding, research, and export expertise as other parts of the business sector. Especially, gaming should also be allowed to be a part of culture.

I move for approval of reservation 21 from Centerpartiet regarding a national gaming institute.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jonas Andersson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Today we are debating the Culture Committee's report on gaming issues. The Sweden Democrats stand behind all their reservations in the report, but I will content myself with moving to approve reservation 11 from the Sweden Democrats.

The report deals not only with proposals from members of the Riksdag presented through motions but also with a government bill on strengthening consumer protection and combating criminal activity in connection with gambling for money.

It has been over five years since the Swedish gambling market was deregulated to become a licensed market. It was good and necessary to deregulate as the situation was then. Time has also shown that that reform was correct.

An important value for the Sverigedemokraterna when it comes to the gaming market has been to let legislation settle over these years, for example that case law should be allowed to develop when it comes to the marketing of games, this instead of creating a jerkiness through too many and large changes close to the deregulation, which can affect the development of case law and other important values in a negative way. This we saw was a problem during the previous Social Democratic government.

The Sweden Democrats want a predictable licensing market for both consumers and gambling companies. This benefits all parties. We see the changes resulting from the bill being discussed today as well-balanced and not as something that will cause complications in the way I just described.

That legal changes are needed to improve the opportunities for gambling companies to live up to the duty of care, the Sweden Democrats have motioned about earlier in the Riksdag. To give gambling companies better access to information about their customers' finances and health is a step in the right direction. The need for this is also something that the National Audit Office has raised in its final report regarding the deregulation of the gambling market. It will contribute to stronger consumer protection in the area. It is therefore pleasing that the government, in line with what the Sweden Democrats have previously motioned about, now proposes this. We welcome that.

Madam Speaker! If the deregulation of the Swedish gambling market has, on the whole, been a success, there is even more reason to roll up our sleeves and take substantial action when it comes to the lottery side of the gambling market. It is about how the Social Democrats have ensured that the legislation surrounding lotteries was rigged for their own gain.

The lottery market in Sweden is separated from the competitive license market for gambling, as the former is reserved for the state and civil society. My perception is that there is fundamentally a broad acceptance among the public and the political parties in the Riksdag for this distinction. I perceive, however, that this acceptance is based on ideas of supporting charitable causes or supporting small-scale civil society, such as the local football club in the small town, where bingo tickets or similar are sold to make the finances work.

The Social Democrats have, however, ensured that the exception in the Lotteries Act also covers political power parties such as their own. This means that through their own gaming company Kombispel, they can enrich the party with sums of many millions at the expense of poor pensioners and other vulnerable groups in the most cynical way.

In order to democratize Swedish society, it is important that we roll back legislation that the Social Democrats have in a corrupt manner seen to be rigged for their own gain. The legislation regarding the lotteries is an important part of this, and it is therefore a day of joy that there is today a proposal on the Riksdag's table regarding written requirements for telephone sales concerning gambling.

The fact that games have not been covered by such a requirement previously has enabled the Social Democrats' gaming company to, via telephone, target pensioners on low incomes and other vulnerable groups through deceptive sales methods to induce them to part with their last, hard-earned coins on the party's lottery activities. But when the Riksdag makes a decision on the bill we are discussing today, we can combat this.

Madam Speaker! Since we are on the topic of how the Social Democrats have rigged legislation on the gambling market for their own gain, I also want to say something about the important investigations that are steps on the way toward further rolling back this.

Several inquiries' proposals in the area are now out for consultation, not least the proposal from the important inquiry on party-political lotteries. It presented its assignment in March, and the report was referred in April. The inquiry proposes stricter rules regarding party-political lotteries rather than a total ban on party-political lotteries. From the Sverigedemokraterna's side, however, the starting point is a total ban regarding party-political lotteries. We have also motioned for this in the Riksdag for many years.

There are several proposals that are important when it comes to democratizing the legislation surrounding lotteries, but that which is submitted to the Riksdag based on the investigation into party-political lotteries will become the most central because it addresses the core issue that parties are covered by the exemption that allows them to conduct lottery activities. Now we are not far from a solution to this problem, something that many Swedes will certainly be pleased about.

(Applause)

In this speech, Runar Filper and Leonid Yurkovskiy (both SD) concurred.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! Thank you very much for the speech, Jonas Andersson!

SD and the government have in their budget chosen to raise the gambling tax. The Centre Party has nothing against it in itself, but that it is being raised generally without regard to the risk level or where the money goes, we think is a major problem.

The transport sector and the horse industry will now, in one fell swoop, lose revenues equivalent to 200 million kronor. My question to the member is quite simple. Have the Sweden Democrats and the government noticed this problem, and if so, do they intend to do something about it?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jonas Andersson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Rickard Nordin, for the question!

I am aware that there are actors in the field, for example ATG and several others, who have reacted to this and raised this type of concern. Of course, it is an important value for the Sverigedemokraterna how this might affect the horse industry and how it can affect the countryside as a whole, which will be the consequence if it affects the horse industry. It is of course something that I want to take with me moving forward. It is important for us to ensure that it does not result in that type of negative impact.

I am also aware of the idea that one should have a differentiated gaming tax for different types of games. It is an interesting idea, actually. It is not included in this budget in that way, but it is absolutely a proposal that we in Sverigedemokraterna find interesting and has sparked discussions internally within the party. It is a bit too early for me to promise exactly how we will proceed in that matter, but we have it on our table.

Now that Rickard Nordin has arrived to ask me questions, I intend to raise another important issue with Rickard Nordin that I did not hear much about from him, and that is how the Center Party views the investigation that has been submitted regarding the party-political lotteries. How does one view that proposal?

As it stands today, this enables partisan lotteries and their gambling companies, for example Kombispel, to target the most vulnerable groups in our society, such as poor pensioners. What does the Center Party actually think about this?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! Now we have basically spoken about the gambling tax and how it affects the horse industry. I note that the Sweden Democrats have seen the problem but have chosen not to do anything about it. If you think it is too early, I can promise to return to this debate even next year and ask how you have taken it further.

We think it is reasonable to review the gambling tax and look at how it can be targeted so that it hits risk gambling harder and less hard on gambling with less risk. In this case, we also see that a good deal of the money goes back to the industry and to the Swedish countryside.

When it comes to lotteries from non-profit actors, we think it is very important to have, for example, written requirements so that it does not affect people with low incomes and also with consumer information so that everyone knows what it is that they are buying.

However, we believe that starting to make distinctions between different types of non-profit organizations becomes highly problematic. It is a very difficult balance, not only legally but also in reality.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jonas Andersson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Rickard Nordin, for the answer!

I can say as much as that this is a budget issue, so the result that comes out is not the Sweden Democrats' opinion alone. There are also other parties that have opinions in these parts. I believe that Rickard Nordin also understands that is how it stands.

But as I said earlier, this is naturally an important issue for the Sweden Democrats. We will absolutely look closer at it. I am happy to be heard further on that issue in a year's time when it is time for a chamber debate on gaming issues again - not against me.

I do not agree with Rickard Nordin that there is no difference between different types of non-profit associations. I do not believe that the public perceives it that way. That an exception for lotteries which provide various different benefits covers a small football club in the countryside is one thing, and I believe many can accept and understand that. But that this should cover political power parties that have ruled Sweden for the greater part of the last hundred years is in no way comparable.

I perceive it as the Center Party dodging this question and not really wanting to tackle it. I didn't hear much about it from the rostrum when Rickard Nordin spoke, and neither do we get any straight answers now. But we will have to make sure to force the Center Party further onto the field on this issue so that they have to declare their colors, I think.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Peter Ollén (M)

Madam Speaker! The Swedish video game industry is a true success story. It is largely twice as large as the film and music industries combined.

Gaming issues

The Swedish-developed games target all age groups. Minecraft is used when children are to learn about democracy and community building. Candy Crush has 200 million active players.

Dreamhack was started 30 years ago in a school cafeteria in Borlänge. Today, tens of thousands of players meet in many different countries, from Japan to the USA.

There are also problems with gaming - staying at home and other forms of mental ill-health.

We follow with pleasure the research that Professor Anders Håkansson at Lund University has initiated in cooperation with Region Skåne. It is possible to break a destructive gambling addiction in a relatively small number of sessions, and now methods are being refined that can subsequently be shared with the rest of the country.

Almost all industry organizations in Sweden are independent. This does not prevent a close dialogue with, for example, Svenskt Näringsliv and its organizations. Export, infrastructure, education, and other matters can be developed in dialogue between the industry organizations and the state.

But within culture, there is often a strong desire from politics to be involved and have an influence. Therefore, it is not strange that from a political standpoint, one wants to look at a politically steered organization even for video games.

Personally, I think it is important to give organizations the trust to work and develop their industry themselves. It is not the case that organizations become better because politics is involved in them. But it can become very good if the state actors see how one can support an independent and autonomous industry developed by the wise people who are in it.

Madam Speaker! Let us from the political sphere see how we can continue to safeguard the gaming industry and its development! Let us see how the public actors can be good partners in dialogue with the industry! But let the industry - as far as is possible and as long as it moves within the framework of the law - be allowed to develop with the greatest possible degree of freedom!

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 13.)

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