While it's not illegal for Swedes to gamble online, it's illegal to host gambling activities or operate online gambling in Sweden for all but the state-controlled monopoly Svenska Spel.
The Swedish government persists in its claims that the state-owned gambling monopoly prevents crime and provides social protection for Swedish gamblers.
The European Commission has a different opinion in the matter, however, and states that the monopoly interferes with article 49 of the European Treaty regarding free movement of trade, as it excludes other European countries from the competition.
Also worth noting is that Svenska Spel is one of the Swedish government's largest source of income, and some critics claim that the decisions of the government regarding the matter is only a cynical excuse to keep the huge revenues generated by it's #1 cash cow.
