Swedish Online Bingo Monopoly

While UK and EU online bingo operators cast envious eyes on the growing market for the game in Sweden, the Swedish Government still continues with its monopolistic practices. To this end the protected Swedish monopoly Svenske Spel has benefited in the amount of SEK 5.25 billion and enjoys at least a 55% market share, pushing its profits up by 9% for the financial year ending in 2007.

This a huge market and it can easily be understood why UK and EU online bingo operators would like to try for a piece of the pie. As with German monopolistic practices the Swedish Government presently faces action due to these restrictions from the European Commission as gaming companies from various EU nation members are saying that principles of free movement and market trade are not being adhered to. This is not the first European country to jealously guard it gaming revenue, and even the USA also practices this through the auspices of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

It seems to me that all of these countries that regulate their gaming to such an extent that they disallow other online bingo operators any access to their market, should in turn be banned from any entry to the rest of the UK and EU market, with that in mind and unable to expand operations to other countries they will soon reach critical mass and self destruct, surely they can see this.