The government of Sweden has revealed that gambling tax revenues for the first half of 2019 were higher than expected, bringing in SEK1.84 billion during the period.
The revenues are nearly twice of what analysts thought would be coming in, providing funding for various programs throughout the country. Online betting has provided a large boost, as there are 86 licensed operators in the region, and those operators are at a rate of 18%. Despite the move being largely positive, the country's former gambling monopoly Svenska Spel has shown declines in revenue since the start of the year.
Gambling regulation in Sweden has been a long time in coming, and many gaming operators are struggling to adjust to new rules. This has caused revenues for a lot of these companies to drop, but at least in the meantime, it appears that the state will continue to benefit.
Comments
But that's the whole point...isn't it!? If the ex-monopoly company revenues are on decline..then you've got a competitive market...which should be the first priority anyway.
Regulating gambling is necessary for higher taxes, player protection etc. Sweden is getting many positive results after opening their market in recent years, hopefully.