Two steps cover most of what Sweden offers. Register at Spelpaus.se, the free national self-exclusion register run by Spelinspektionen, which blocks every Sweden-licensed operator at once, for 10 days, 1, 3 or 6 months, or until further notice. Then call Stödlinjen, the national gambling helpline, on 020-81 91 00; it is free and you do not have to give your name. Treatment is delivered through the regions’ addiction clinics and municipal social services, and cognitive behavioural therapy is the recommended approach. The legal gambling age is 18.
| National helpline | 020-81 91 00 — Stödlinjen, free and anonymous, weekdays |
|---|---|
| National self-exclusion | Spelpaus.se — free, covers all Sweden-licensed operators |
| Exclusion periods | 10 days, 1, 3 or 6 months, or until further notice (minimum 12 months) |
| Gambling on credit | Banned. Expanded ban in force since 1 May 2026 |
| Deposit limits | Mandatory — online players must set their own deposit limit |
| Treatment | Regional addiction clinics and municipal social services; CBT, also online |
| Regulator | Spelinspektionen (Swedish Gambling Authority) |
| Legal gambling age | 18 |
Verified helplines
| Service | Phone / chat | Hours | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stödlinjen | 020-81 91 00Chat via stodlinjen.se | Mon 09–19, Tue–Wed 09–17, Thu 11–19, Fri 09–15 (non-holiday weekdays); free and anonymousSwedish; 'other languages' section on site | stodlinjen.se/en |
Helplines and online chat
Stödlinjen is Sweden’s national gambling helpline. The number is 020-81 91 00, the call is free, and you do not have to say who you are. Phone hours on non-holiday weekdays are Monday 09:00–19:00, Tuesday and Wednesday 09:00–17:00, Thursday 11:00–19:00 and Friday 09:00–15:00. There is also a chat and an email form at stodlinjen.se.
Stödlinjen is run by Stockholms läns sjukvårdsområde with support from the Public Health Agency (Folkhälsomyndigheten), so it is a health service rather than an operator service. Counsellors answer in Swedish and English, and interpreters are available in more than 100 languages. The line takes calls from people who gamble and from people close to them.
If you are thinking about ending your life, call 112, the emergency number across the EU and Norway. Financial ruin and gambling debt are common triggers for suicidal thinking, and the risk is highest in the hours after a big loss. A gambling helpline is not a crisis line; use both if you need to. More numbers: findahelpline.com and our helplines directory.
If you want to know where you stand before you call, our gambling self-test takes a few minutes.
Self-exclusion with Spelpaus.se
Spelpaus.se is a free service from the Swedish Gambling Authority and the strongest single step available in Sweden. One registration blocks every gambling company licensed in Sweden: online casino, betting, online bingo and lotteries, value machines (värdeautomater) and gambling through agents at physical venues. Anything that requires you to register an account is included. Scratch-card lotteries and land-based casino games that do not require registration fall outside it.
You confirm the exclusion with e-identification: Mobile BankID, BankID, Freja eID+ or a foreign eID. If you have no e-identification, there is a paper form.
Periods you can choose
| Period | How it ends |
|---|---|
| 10 days | Ends automatically |
| 1 month | Ends automatically |
| 3 months | Ends automatically |
| 6 months | Ends automatically |
| Until further notice | You can cancel it, but not before 12 months have passed |
A registration cannot be cancelled or shortened before the date you picked. It can be replaced with a longer one. Licensed operators must check the register before they let you open an account, at every login, and before they send you any direct marketing, so a Spelpaus registration also switches off addressed mail, email, SMS, phone calls and individually targeted social media ads from those companies.
Spelpaus stops Swedish-licensed sites. It does not stop unlicensed offshore sites, so pair it with a blocking app: see apps that block gambling sites and self-exclusion schemes by country.
Blocking gambling payments and sites
Sweden restricts the money rather than offering a bank-level gambling switch. Under the Gambling Act, licence holders and gambling agents may not allow or take part in gambling being financed with credit. That ban was widened, and since 1 May 2026 it covers deferred payment in general: credit cards, bank loans, invoice and instalment products, and money lent by relatives. Licence holders have to refuse the stake if they know it is credit-funded.
Deposit limits are compulsory in the other direction too: for online gambling the player must set an upper limit on deposits, and for value machines a loss limit applies instead.
For device-level blocking, gambling blockers installed on your phone and computer are the practical layer on top of Spelpaus. If money is already the problem, start with what to do about gambling debt before opening a new credit line.
Treatment and counselling
Care runs through two systems. The regions provide health care: you can go to a vårdcentral (health centre) or straight to a beroendemottagning (addiction clinic); some regions run clinics dedicated to gambling. Municipal social services (socialtjänsten) provide support on the social side. Occupational health services are a third route if you are employed.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is the recommended treatment for hasardspelsyndrom, the clinical diagnosis. CBT for gambling is also delivered online: Beroendecentrum Stockholm runs a roughly twelve-week internet-based programme that is open to people across the country. Contact details for clinics in your region are listed on 1177.se.
Support for family and friends
Stödlinjen answers calls from partners, parents and friends on the same number, and runs digital self-help material aimed specifically at relatives. Spelberoendes riksförbund is the Swedish member organisation offering peer support groups for people who gamble and for those close to them.
Two practical points for relatives: you cannot register someone else on Spelpaus (the person has to do it with their own e-identification), and taking over their debts usually removes the pressure that makes them act. Our guide on how to help someone with a gambling problem covers the boundaries part, and the signs to look for covers what you may be seeing.
Gambling law and the regulator
The regulator is Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority. Offering gambling in Sweden requires a licence under the Gambling Act (spellag 2018:1138), with narrow exceptions for private games and some small lotteries, and Spelinspektionen publishes a public register of licence holders you can check a site against.
Licensed gambling may not be offered to anyone under 18 (chapter 14, section 2). Licence holders also carry a statutory duty of care: they must monitor gambling behaviour and act to protect players from excessive gambling, not simply react when a player complains.
Online gambling is legal in Sweden when the operator holds a Swedish licence. Sites without one are outside the whole protective system: no Spelpaus check, no deposit limit requirement, no duty of care.
Frequently asked questions
How do I self-exclude from gambling in Sweden?
Go to Spelpaus.se and confirm with Mobile BankID, BankID, Freja eID+ or a foreign eID; a paper form exists if you have no e-identification. Pick 10 days, 1, 3 or 6 months, or until further notice. The block takes effect across every Sweden-licensed operator and cannot be cancelled before the date you chose.
Does Spelpaus cover foreign gambling sites?
No. Spelpaus covers companies licensed in Sweden. Sites operating without a Swedish licence do not check the register, so people who self-exclude and then find an offshore site are not protected by it. A blocking app on your phone and computer is the layer that catches those.
Is online gambling legal in Sweden?
Yes, for operators holding a licence from Spelinspektionen. The Gambling Act (2018:1138) requires a licence to offer gambling in Sweden, licensed gambling may not be offered to anyone under 18, and licence holders must let you set a deposit limit and must check Spelpaus at every login.
Where do I get treatment for gambling addiction in Sweden?
Through the ordinary health and social care system: a vårdcentral or an addiction clinic (beroendemottagning) in your region, or the social services in your municipality. Cognitive behavioural therapy is the recommended treatment and is also available as a roughly twelve-week online programme open nationwide.
Sources
- Spelpaus.se — This is how it works (Spelinspektionen)
- Spelinspektionen — Spelpaus.se (scope, marketing ban, operator duties)
- Spelinspektionen — Utökat förbud mot spel på kredit (in force 1 May 2026)
- Spellag (2018:1138), chapter 14 — Sveriges riksdag
- Stödlinjen — the national gambling helpline
- 1177 — Hasardspelsyndrom (spelberoende): where to seek care
- Spelinspektionen — the Swedish Gambling Authority