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The Swedish government has appointed Peter Knutsson as Director General of the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen), effective 17 August 2026. He will serve a six-year term through to 31 August 2032, replacing acting Director General Johan Röhr.
A Consumer Protection Profile at the Helm
Knutsson does not come from a traditional gambling background. Since August 2024 he has served as Sweden’s Advertising Ombudsman, overseeing marketing ethics and standards across industries. Before that he was Head of Unit at the Ministry of Finance and has also worked with the European Commission and as an advisor to the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen).
A trained lawyer with more than 20 years of managerial experience, Knutsson has specialised throughout his career in consumer legislation and related policy. The appointment follows the departure of former Director General Camilla Rosenberg, who left Spelinspektionen in November 2025 to head the Swedish Real Estate Agents’ Inspectorate (Fastighetsmäklarinspektionen).
Madelaine Tunudd, chairwoman of the Gambling Authority’s board, welcomed the decision.
With the solid experience Peter Knutsson has from, among other things, the Ministry of Finance, consumer affairs and most recently the Advertising Ombudsman, this will be very good for the authority.
Niklas Wykman, Sweden’s Minister of Financial Markets, framed the appointment in terms of market priorities.
The Swedish gambling market should be characterised by high security and strong consumer protection, and the Swedish Gambling Authority has a major responsibility in this.
Röhr, who has been running Spelinspektionen on an interim basis, confirmed an orderly handover.
I welcome the government’s decision on a new Director General for the Swedish Gambling Authority and will ensure that Peter Knutsson receives a good introduction in my handover as acting Director General.
Market Context: Modest Growth, Structural Pressures
Knutsson steps into a market showing modest growth but facing structural headwinds. Swedish gambling revenue reached SEK 28.2bn (€2.6bn) in 2025, up 1.3% year-on-year. Commercial online gaming and betting, the largest segment, generated just over SEK 18bn, an increase of 3.3%. State-operated Svenska Spel’s lotteries and Vegas slot machine turnover fell 3.4% to SEK 5.5bn.
The channelisation picture — how effectively licensed operators capture player spend versus offshore alternatives — remains a persistent concern for regulators. Swedish operators including Betsson have pointed to rising gaming taxes and competitive pressure as factors shaping their strategies in the domestic market.
Regulatory Reforms Already in Motion
The new Director General inherits a reform agenda that is already in progress. The Swedish government has been finalising amendments to the Gambling Act that would tighten definitions of illegal gambling activity and extend the law’s reach to offshore operators accepting Swedish players — even without explicitly targeting them.
Central to this is the proposed removal of the “directional criterion,” a clause that has historically excluded non-Swedish-facing platforms from domestic jurisdiction. Its removal would allow Spelinspektionen to pursue any operator with Swedish player activity, regardless of language, payment method, or marketing approach. The change represents a significant expansion of the authority’s enforcement scope.
Knutsson’s background in advertising standards may prove particularly relevant as Spelinspektionen looks at how gambling products are promoted. Across European markets, marketing conduct has become one of the central regulatory battlegrounds in recent years, with authorities tightening rules on bonus structures, affiliate activity, and influencer-driven promotion.
The appointment is not unique in the European regulatory landscape. Other national authorities, including the Dutch KSA, have recently refreshed senior leadership as regulators across the continent recalibrate their approach to enforcement and player protection.
Knutsson’s six-year mandate gives him the runway to shape not just immediate enforcement priorities but the longer-term architecture of Swedish gambling oversight. How he uses it — balancing tighter controls on promotion and offshore activity against the risk of driving players toward unregulated alternatives — will define Spelinspektionen’s direction through the end of the decade.
Source: regeringen.se
