Sweden: does a promotion need a Spelinspektionen licence?
No, where the purchase price is unaffected by the draw and the promotion is a temporary marketing measure.
Rated: straightforward
Planning effort, not legal risk, and not legal advice. Before every launch the mechanic is confirmed by a law firm admitted in the market.
In detail
Permitted without a licence where the purchase price is unaffected by the draw and the promotion is a temporary marketing measure (Spelinspektionen, April 2025)
None for a free-entry draw, a skill contest or a price-neutral purchase-linked draw. Lottery licences are reserved for non-profits, so a company cannot obtain one
Chance-based winnings are tax-free for the winner; skill-contest prizes are taxable above SEK 1,800 and always if paid in cash
A stake, or a price uplift tied to entry, turns the draw into a lottery that no commercial company can license
Lotteries need a licence from Spelinspektionen, but three routes stay outside that regime: a free-entry draw, a genuine skill contest (pristävling), and, since Spelinspektionen's published position of April 2025, a purchase-linked draw where the product price is unaffected by the draw and the promotion is a temporary marketing measure. For a purchase-linked draw the decisive test is therefore not skill versus chance but whether any stake was paid. Which route a campaign takes is settled with the licensed local lawyers of our network before launch, and the mechanic is built around their assessment. Status: mid-2026.
What this means for your campaign
No lead time. Any stake, or a price uplift tied to entry, turns the draw into a lottery — and lottery licences are reserved for non-profits, so no commercial company can hold one.
All 41 markets side by side
The permit check puts all 41 markets side by side and adds up the effort for your market selection. The full legal sources are on the market rules overview.
Planning a campaign in Sweden?
Tell us the mechanic, the markets and the date. You get a fixed-price concept back within three business days, including the permit route per market.