Sweden’s Spelinspektionen Announces the Head of a New Department

The Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) has created a "new department for operational support" under the leadership of Kristina Geiger. She joins the Inspectorate's top management after initially serving as the Statens Historiska Museum's treasurer from 2021 to 2023.

Geiger comes with a decorated CV after working in the country's civil service for a long time. She has served in senior management roles at the Swedish Competition Authority, Government Office, and the Karolinska Institute. In addition, Geiger's wealth of expertise includes serving as the "national expert" for the EC (European Commission).

Commenting on her appointment to the Inspectorate, Geiger said: 

"I am eager to commence my journey with the Gambling Inspectorate, given the importance of the authority's mission and the trust placed in me to lead the department for operational support."

Spelinspektionen Director General, Camilla Rosenberg, remarked:

 "We are delighted to welcome Kristina! With her, we gain an experienced leader accustomed to driving change."

It's important to note that the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) has been restructuring its operations lately. On May 17, 2023, the government decided to extend the tenure of Camila Rosenberg as the Director General and Head of SGA until October 31, 2026. 

Back in November last year, the government in Sweden announced several changes to the Swedish Gambling Act to tackle unlicensed gambling and betting activities. As a result, the Swedish Gambling Inspectorate started issuing new B2B licenses ahead of the industry launch on July 1, 2023. 

In February this year, the regulatory body said regulated online gambling sites could still submit their applications after the four-month deadline for renewal. However, the regulator cautions that late submissions may not provide enough window for the Inspectorate to decide on the new applications. 

The new regulatory framework also allows the Inspectorate to ask payment service providers (PSPs) for information about transactional data. If Spelinspektionen discovers that these payment systems are guilty of conducting transactions with unlicensed gambling businesses in Sweden, the regulatory body can place direct payment prohibitions on PSPs.

The Swedish government has significantly agreed to increase the Inspectorate's operating budget by SEK 2.4 million (€200,000). This additional budget will help the regulator improve its operational resources.