A new report published by the Swedish National Audit Office (Riksrevisionen) has concluded that the Swedish state’s efforts to prevent and mitigate problem gambling are not sufficiently effective, particularly for children and young people. The audit, released in February 2026, examines whether government agencies, including the Swedish Public Health Agency, the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), and the county administrative boards, have delivered meaningful support and practical tools to address gambling harms, but it found persistent shortcomings.
According to the report, gambling participation and problematic play have not declined, and support structures in municipalities are insufficiently equipped to identify and respond to problem gambling in a coordinated way. Despite high‑quality knowledge materials produced by national agencies, these fail to meet the practical needs of local authorities tasked with prevention and early intervention.
Audit Findings Highlight Coordination and Support Weaknesses
Riksrevisionen’s audit notes that, while Sweden has ambitious public health goals to reduce the negative consequences of excessive gambling, these objectives have not been met. A key concern is that gambling and related harms — including among children and young adults — have persisted or increased. Adolescents’ engagement in gambling activities, even those legally restricted to adults, remains a point of serious concern and correlates with schooling challenges, mental health issues, and social harms.
The report finds that national authorities are producing knowledge support materials of adequate technical quality, but these resources are not sufficiently aligned with the real‑world needs of municipalities and regions. Local providers require practical, evidence‑based guidance that is readily implementable and tailored to community settings, particularly when dealing with risk groups such as minors and individuals with co‑occurring social and mental health challenges.
Practical Implementation and Systemic Barriers
A central theme in Riksrevisionen’s review is coordination failure between different levels of government and agencies. While national bodies are mandated to develop and disseminate best practices, regional and municipal actors often lack the capacity, training, and integrated frameworks needed for effective front‑line intervention. According to the audit, this fragmentation undermines the state’s ability to detect and respond to problem gambling at early stages, limiting the effectiveness of preventive and treatment efforts.
The report makes clear that, without better synchronisation of initiatives and more concrete operational guidance, the state’s overarching policy goals, including targets set by the Riksdag, will remain out of reach.
Focus on Children and Young People
One of the audit’s most concerning findings is that gambling among children and young people has not been effectively addressed, despite this group being a stated priority. Riksrevisionen highlights that national knowledge support mechanisms need to be updated and expanded to help local authorities identify early risk behaviours and respond with age‑appropriate interventions.
The report also calls on national bodies to integrate problem gambling work more closely with broader public health strategies aimed at addictive behaviours, such as alcohol and drug abuse, so that support and prevention efforts are part of a unified approach to dependency and harm reduction.
Policy Response and Regulatory Context
The audit’s conclusions arrive amid ongoing debates about gambling oversight and regulatory effectiveness in Sweden. Recent policy adjustments, including updated supervision fees imposed by the Swedish Gambling Inspectorate, reflect a broader regulatory momentum to strengthen oversight of operators and reduce systemic risks.
Despite improvements on the regulatory side, Riksrevisionen’s report suggests that regulation alone is insufficient to address the complex challenge of gambling harm without corresponding enhancements in support infrastructure and integration of prevention efforts across public health systems.
The focus on problem gambling support in Sweden bears parallels to recent concerns raised in neighbouring jurisdictions, such as Norway, where regulatory controls face scrutiny amid rising addiction rates and calls for stronger intervention frameworks.
What the Report Recommends
Riksrevisionen offers specific recommendations to improve the state’s response to problem gambling:
- Enhance practical support: Agencies should tailor knowledge materials and tools to the needs of local authorities so that prevention and treatment efforts can be implemented effectively on the ground.
- Improve coordination: National bodies like the Public Health Agency and Socialstyrelsen must work together more strategically and coordinate with county administrative boards to ensure consistent implementation.
- Focus on youth risk: Knowledge supports and interventions must be updated to provide actionable guidance for detecting and addressing gambling problems among children and adolescents.
- Integrate addiction strategies: Problem gambling interventions should be embedded within broader addiction policy frameworks to leverage synergies with existing public health efforts targeting substance misuse and other dependencies.
The Riksrevisionen audit underscores that Sweden’s current system for addressing problem gambling needs significant enhancement to meet its stated public health goals, especially as digital gambling products become more accessible. Without improved coordination, tailored support, and effective local implementation, the state risks failing to protect vulnerable populations from the social and financial harms associated with excessive gambling.