Bonus rules in Sweden
The key point about bonus rules: Sweden only allows an operator with a Swedish licence to offer or give a bonus on the first occasion you play any of its games. The rule applies per licence holder – not per brand and not per group. That is why sister sites with different licence holders can each give a welcome bonus, while sites that share a licence holder share one.
On this page we go through what the law says, what counts as the first occasion of play, how the groups’ division into several companies affects you and which requirements apply to how bonuses may be marketed.
What does the law say about bonuses?
The rule is in the first paragraph of Chapter 14, Section 9 of Spellagen, the Swedish Gambling Act:
A licence holder may offer or give a bonus only on the first occasion on which a player plays any of the licence holder’s games.
By bonus, the law means a discount or similar financial incentive directly linked to the gambling (Chapter 2, Section 3). The definition is broad and can cover more than classic deposit bonuses, for example free spins and other benefits tied to the gambling.
The law makes one exception. Licence holders that only provide lotteries under Chapter 6 of Spellagen may give bonuses on other occasions too. So the exception does not apply to casinos, and since 1 January 2026 it no longer applies to party-political lotteries either.
For online casinos, the rule has not changed in 2025 or 2026. The change that came into force at the turn of the year concerns only lotteries.
A bonus on the first occasion of play – what counts?
The governing word is “first”. A licence holder may give you a bonus when you start playing with it, but not later. That rules out recurring deposit bonuses, loyalty programmes with bonus money and similar offers to existing customers.
A court ruling has made the rule clearer. In 2020, in a case concerning the company Genesis Global, the Administrative Court in Linköping held that a deposit bonus split into stages counts as several bonuses. The court also found that the company offered a bonus simply by showing the offer on its site, even if nobody could take it up.
The wording of the law refers to any of the licence holder’s games, not just casino games. If you have already bet on sport or played poker with the same licence holder, your first occasion of play has therefore passed. That is why many operators let you choose one offer. According to its website, Unibet lets new players choose a casino, sports betting or poker bonus, and both LeoVegas and Mr Green state in their terms that only one offer can be taken. Offers checked on 15 October 2026. Terms and conditions apply.
Casino bonus rules – per licence holder
Because the rule applies to the licence holder, the question becomes which company is behind each site. We have not found any explicit guidance from Spelinspektionen (the Swedish Gambling Authority) or ruling on multiple brands under the same licence specifically, but the interpretation follows from the wording of the law.
| Situation | New welcome bonus possible? |
|---|---|
| Same site, you have already played there | No |
| Another brand with the same licence holder | No, the brands share one bonus |
| A sister brand with its own licence holder | Yes, according to the wording of the law |
Example: FDJ United before and after 2025
For a long time, Kindred’s Swedish sites shared a licence held by Spooniker Ltd. In a decision from 2020, the company stated that it paid the welcome bonus once, regardless of which of its websites the customer registered on. At that time the licence covered unibet.se and mariacasino.se, among others.
During 2025 and 2026, FDJ United, which had bought Kindred, moved its Swedish brands to separate licence holders: Otto Casino in September 2025, Unibet in October 2025, Maria Casino with a licence from November 2025 and Storspelare in January 2026. Players had to register again. Today none of the group’s Swedish brands shares a licence holder with another, so each may offer a welcome bonus.
Example: LeoVegas Group
LeoVegas Group, owned by MGM Resorts International, has four Swedish brands: LeoVegas, GoGoCasino, Expekt and BetMGM. Each brand has its own licence holder – Roar Vegas Ltd, Gazelle Co. Limited, LeoEx Ltd and MGMNordic Ltd. None of them shares a licence, so according to the wording of the law a welcome bonus at LeoVegas does not prevent a bonus at BetMGM. At the same time, LeoVegas states in its terms that its own casino offer is only given once.
Example: the 888 sites
At evoke the picture is different. According to a decision by Spelinspektionen in December 2025, 888.se, 888casino.se, 888sport.se and 888poker.se are run by the same licence holder, 888 Sweden Limited. A single welcome bonus should then apply to all four. Mr Green, also owned by evoke, has its own licence holder, however. You can see which brands share a licence holder in our overview of casino sister sites.
When a brand changes licence holder
In recent years, several brands have been moved to new companies. According to reports in the trade press citing Spelinspektionen, a Swedish licence cannot be transferred between two legal entities, not even within the same group. A new company must therefore have its own licence, and that is one reason players have had to register new accounts.
That is what happened when Unibet switched to Kaprifol Services Limited in October 2025: the old accounts were closed and players registered again. In the same way, Betsson switched licence holder to Spin Nordic Ltd on 30 September 2026, according to industry media.
The law says nothing explicit about whether such a switch gives entitlement to a new welcome bonus, and we have not found any guidance on that particular situation. It is the operator’s terms that decide what is offered. Read them carefully. Declining the bonus is always an option.
Supervision and sanctions
Spelinspektionen has taken action against companies that have breached the bonus rule. In the 2020 decision, Spooniker received a warning and a penalty fee which, according to industry media, was reduced from 100 to 30 million kronor on appeal and became final in December 2024. A recent example is Polar Limited, which received a remark in April 2026 for giving bonuses to several customers more than once.
The decisions are published on Spelinspektionen’s website, where you will also find the licence register showing which websites each licence holder runs.
How bonuses may be marketed
The marketing requirements in Spellagen also apply to bonuses. Advertising must be moderate and may not be aimed specifically at anyone under 18. Commercial messages must state the age limit and, except on radio, contact details for an organisation that offers support with gambling problems. If marketing breaches the moderation requirement, it counts as unfair under the Marketing Practices Act.
If you have excluded yourself, operators may not send you direct marketing. Spelpaus, the national self-exclusion register, therefore stops targeted bonus offers from all companies with a Swedish licence, including sister sites. General advertising and sites without a Swedish licence are not covered. We go through how the exclusion works in our guide to Spelpaus and self-exclusion.
How to read a bonus offer
- Check the licence holder in the footer and consider whether you have already played with the same company.
- See whether the offer is a single package or split across several deposits.
- Read the wagering requirement and what it is calculated on – deposit, bonus or both.
- Check the maximum stake, game contribution and how much time you have.
- Decide on your deposit limit before you deposit any money.
We show how to work out what a requirement means in kronor in our guide wagering requirements explained.
Common mistakes
- Thinking a group may only give one bonus. The rule applies per licence holder.
- Thinking every brand has its own licence. The 888 sites share a licence holder and therefore a bonus.
- Counting on a new bonus after sports betting. If you have played any of the licence holder’s games, the first occasion has passed.
- Seeing the bonus as a way to make money. A bonus gives more playing time. The terms decide whether anything can be withdrawn at all.
Stödlinjen, the helpline, is available on 020-819 100 and at stodlinjen.se if you want to talk to someone about your gambling.
Frequently asked questions
How often may a Swedish casino give a bonus?
A bonus may only be offered or given the first time you play any of the licence holder’s games. In practice, this means one welcome bonus and no recurring deposit bonuses. The rule is in Spellagen, Chapter 14, Section 9.
Can I get a bonus at sister sites?
Yes, if the sister site has a different licence holder. The rule applies per licence holder, so brands with their own companies may each offer a welcome bonus. If the sites share a licence holder, as the 888 sites do, one bonus applies to all of them.
May a casino split the welcome bonus across several deposits?
No, according to the Administrative Court in Linköping. The court found that a welcome bonus spread across several deposits is in fact several bonuses, and such a package therefore breaches the rule on a bonus on the first occasion of play.
Will I receive bonus offers if I am registered with Spelpaus?
Operators may not send direct marketing to anyone who has excluded themselves. The exclusion therefore stops targeted offers from companies with a Swedish licence. General advertising, for example on TV, is not covered, however.
Did the bonus rules change in 2025 or 2026?
Not for online casinos. The only change made is that party-political lotteries have also been covered by the bonus restriction since 1 January 2026. The rule for casinos is the same as before.