Written from the verified transcript and checked against it. Every figure links to the moment it was said.
Pontus Lindwall, CEO of Betsson, presented the operator's view on Nordic gaming regulation. He argued that all five Nordic markets share the goal of keeping play in a safe licensed market but take different paths. He praised Denmark's balanced regulation and high channelization, while criticizing Sweden's 70% channelization and rigid Spelpaus blocking system. He expects Finland's new licensing regime on July 1, 2027, and predicts Iceland may regulate within two years. Lindwall emphasized that high channelization requires a competitive product, meaningful safeguards, and real enforcement, and warned that over-restriction pushes players to unlicensed sites. He cited Betsson's exits from the UK and Germany due to high taxes and over-regulation, and called for cooperation among operators, regulators, suppliers, banks, and public health.
Key takeaways
Sweden's channelization is around 70%, which Lindwall calls a big failure for the regulator.
Finland's new licensing regulation is expected on July 1, 2027.
Betsson has exited the UK and Germany due to high taxes and over-regulation.
Iceland currently has 0% channelization, with regulation possibly coming in two years.
From Denmark. We are going to another Nordic market. We're going to Sweden, my home country. And to give the industry's perspective from Sweden, today we have found Pontus Lindwall, and Pontus is the CEO of Betsson, a well-known gambling company from Sweden. And if you are ready, Pontus.
Lindwall, P. (2026, July 21). Gaming in the Nordics 2026 - The industry's perspective, Pontus Lindwall [Interview transcript]. Gaming in the Nordics. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1113011/
MLA
Pontus Lindwall. "Gaming in the Nordics 2026 - The industry's perspective, Pontus Lindwall." Gaming in the Nordics, 21 Jul. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1113011/.
BibTeX
@misc{lindwall2026_1113011,
author = {Pontus Lindwall},
title = {Gaming in the Nordics 2026 - The industry's perspective, Pontus Lindwall},
howpublished = {Interview transcript, Gaming in the Nordics. CEOInterviews.AI},
year = {2026},
month = {jul},
url = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1113011/},
note = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}