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The Swedish gaming market is an extremely competitive one, as until recently only a handful of companies were granted permission by the government to operate. With state-owned company Svenska Spel dominating the market of sports gambling, it was tough – and even unlawful – for anyone to attempt to set up a private operation.
The Swedish government has remained firm on its stance on online gaming – refusing to regulate an open market despite protests from the European competition commission. This stance has nonetheless allowed other private operations to benefit from the gap in the market.
Unibet is one such company, who were allowed permission to open up in 1997; just two years later they had moved from taking bets by phone to opening up an online presence and reaching out to international customers as well as the domestic market. Through a series of acquisitions in bookmaking and bingo, the Unibet brand has expanded to include most facets of gambling to serve international customers as well as increase its Swedish presence.
Another company having Swede success is Betsson; having launched online in 2002 almost 40 years after their first brick-and-mortar casino was opened in Gothenburg. Realising too the business potential of an overseas operation running alongside their Swedish brand, Betsson launched English, German and Finnish versions of their site just a year later.
With these and many more companies battling for market share on Swedish shores, only a company with a prestigious brand value and high degree of customer satisfaction could make an impact – which is exactly why Gala are aiming to be the next big thing in Sweden with the launch of their new site.
Gala Bingo and Casino are home to some of the UK’s biggest games, including exclusives from Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway – which offers tie-in competitions to the weekly programme online – as well as a new slots game starring country music legend and diva Dolly Parton.
Now that Gala is such a hit in the UK, it’s hoped that the success will translate on foreign shores – only time will tell how they fare in a market that’s especially competitive given the Swedish government’s current scrutiny of the online gaming industry.
