Svenska Spel gets Microgaming casino games

Sweden's most recognised gambling operator took the next step in its own evolution by reaching a deal with Microgaming to include the company's diverse portfolio of online content.

Svenska Spel Sport & Casino will immediately begin offering a large selection of Microgaming's popular video slots. There is no word on whether table games will be included as well.

The agreement is a big win for Microgaming. Ever since Sweden legalised online gambling in 2019, the Nordic country has been one of Microgaming's best European markets. Reaching an agreement with Svenska Spel only improves its reputation and gives it more to leverage its relationships with private online operators.

Gambling regulations in Sweden

Prior to new legislation enacted in January 2019, all sanctioned gambling in Sweden was state run. Svenska Spel Sport & Casino was the only officially licensed operation in the country. However, that did not prevent private operators from finding ways to reach their customers. Online gambling had begun to emerge when, in 2018, Sweden's government was forced to admit that private operators had gained a nearly 30% market share.

Sweden's government realised that cracking down on private gambling operators was likely to be unsuccessful. They also realised that legalising gambling in the private sector would open door to more revenue. Thus the 2019 legislation was written and enacted.

The country's new rules went into effect on January 1, 2019. Private gambling operators are regulated by the Swedish Gambling Authority and, as of the end of September, the Authority had already licensed 100 operators. All approved operators pay an 18% tax on their profits.

Combating unlicensed operators

Sweden's gambling rules also ban promoting any form of gambling without a license. The Swedish Gambling Authority claims to have the ability to block transactions between unlicensed operators and their customers.

Regulators say that the ban and enforcement power are necessary to protect gamblers from "unscrupulous" operators. It is still too early to tell if regulators have succeeded in that goal, but data should provide the answer at some point in the future.

So what does all this have to do with Microgaming and Svenska Spel Sport & Casino? Quite a bit, actually. Svenska Spel are fully aware of the influence Microgaming has in the industry. Striking up a partnership was necessary in order for Svenska Spel to compete effectively against online casinos.

A history of great games

Microgaming has an awful lot going for it. Worldwide, the company is regarded as one of the first names in video slot games. It seems like the more games they release, the further their reach expands.

Getting themselves into Sweden has proved to be quite beneficial. In fact, Microgaming introduced a bespoke solution for the Swedish market when the new regulations took effect in 2019. The solution allows operators to utilise a refined Microgaming solution that has been localised specifically for the Swedish market.

Cementing the company's position as one of the top providers in the industry is its impressive progressive jackpot network. Microgaming has awarded players more than €1 billion through its progressive jackpots.

More about progressive jackpots

Gamblers find video slots entertaining for a whole host of reasons. They are especially fond of progressive jackpot games because they know that the potential of any progressive jackpot is theoretically unlimited. If you are not familiar with progressive jackpots, you might want to look into them.

A progressive jackpot is one that starts at a base amount and then gradually grows as gamblers play their favourite games. A portion of each wager placed is added to the jackpot. This is how it grows. The progressive jackpot continues to grow until someone wins, at which point the jackpot is reset to its base amount and the process starts over.

Some progressive jackpots are local in the sense that they are tied only to games in a single casino. Others are networked, as is the case with Microgaming progressive slots. This difference is the key to what makes Microgaming progressive slots so popular.

A networked progressive jackpot is not limited to a single casino. Any operation connected to the network contributes to the jackpot through its players So let's say you have 10,000 people playing Mega Moolah at any given time, from locations around the world. Each and every one of those players contributes a tiny amount to the game's progressive jackpot with every spin of the reels.

For the record, the Mega Moolah slot has paid out some of the richest jackpot wins over its lifetime. The official world record jackpot was won by a British player in 2015. He took home £13 million by winning the Mega Moolah's Mega Jackpot.

More about Microgaming

Any of Microgaming's competitors can make the same kinds of statements on their websites. How do you know if any of them are telling the truth? By looking at their track records. Microgaming certainly has an impressive one (they have been around since the 1990s).

Microgaming released "the world's first true online casino software in 1994", according to its website. They went on to introduce mobile casino software a decade later. During that time, they produced some of the most innovative video slots in the industry. They have not slowed down since.

Evidence of the company's success can be found simply by looking at their games. The Mega Moolah slot is arguably the most popular progressive slot game online. Being such a clever game developer they have added more games that share the Mega Moolah's four progressive jackpots. These are the very popular Atlantean Treasures slot and the Mega Vault Millionaire slot, which is exclusive to Casino Rewards network.

Then there's Thunderstruck, a wildly popular franchise the company first released in 2003. More than 16 years later, Thunderstruck II continues to attract players.

Svenska Spel wins too

The deal between Microgaming and Svenska Spel says a lot about Microgaming's influence within the industry. However, Svenska Spel benefits from the deal as well. Adding Microgaming to their portfolio raises their profile among Swedish gamblers and offers them yet another reason to spend some time at the state-run casino.

Remember that state-run gambling operations are like most other state-owned businesses in that, as long as they hold monopoly power, they have no reason to innovate. You could make the case that Svenska Spel stagnated over many years of being the only licensed game in town. Opening up gambling to private operators has forced Svenska Spel to do better. It has forced management to innovate, expand, and reach out to new audiences.

Adding the Microgaming portfolio does just that. It says to Swedish gamblers that the state-run operator is not content to rest on past history or its command of the market. Opening their doors to Microgaming demonstrates that Svenska Spel is not willing to merely tolerate the private sector but also to embrace it.

Their decision to work with Microgaming will likely result in more players and higher revenues. It will be interesting to see how Svenska Spel does in relation to Microgaming's progressive jackpot network because right now the Mega Moolah is no where to be found on Svenska Spel's website.

Where to play Mega Moolah from Sweden?

If you would like a chance at the massive £16 million Mega Moolah jackpot then unfortunately Svenska Spel cannot help you. However we can recommend two privately run and Swedish government licensed casinos where you can play Mega Moolah. To find out more go to our Where to Play page or click on the green Play Now button top right of screen.

Lessons for other countries

One final thing to point out before we close this post is the observation that some of Sweden's neighbours are paying attention. Take Denmark, for example. Their gambling environment remains as restrictive as it has ever been. Assuming Sweden's decision to legalise private gambling operations proves as successful as some are projecting, leaders in Denmark may want to reassess their own position on the subject.

What Sweden has done offers real-life lessons for other countries. Here's hoping that legalised gambling does for Sweden everything proponents expect it to do. Here's hoping that other countries learn from Sweden's example and allow the industry to proliferate within their borders as well.