Summary
- Johan Röhr has stepped into the role of acting Director General at the Swedish Gambling Regulator, bringing fresh leadership and commitment to the helm.
- Röhr is stepping into the role, taking over from the experienced and longstanding leader, Camilla Rosenberg.
- He is now taking the lead in implementing vital changes to the country's self-exclusion program.
Sweden's gambling authority, Spelinspektionen, has swiftly moved to appoint a new acting Director General. With the recent news of Camilla Rosenberg stepping down at the end of October, they have confirmed that Johan Röhr will take the helm on November 1.
Rosenberg takes her leave, Röhr takes the reins
After years at the heart of the regulator, where he championed best practices and fortified consumer protections, Rosenberg is stepping down. His leadership in creating a transparent, consumer-centric reporting system has unveiled persistent challenges, including channelization, within the Swedish gambling market. Röhris, currently leading the legal department, isn’t stepping into this role by chance. His expertise uniquely equips him to guide the regulator through its upcoming, enforcement-heavy strategies. The news of Röhr's appointment was warmly received by the regulator and Chairman Claes Norgren expressed confidence in Röhr as the ideal choice to lead the organization through its next phase. Operations will continue at full speed as a new director general is sought, though Norgren hinted that Röhr might ultimately assume the role permanently. Röhris faces the monumental task of building on Rosenberg's legacy of ensuring compliance among market stakeholders and licensed entities.
Bad actors are a major challenge for whoever takes the hot seat in the end
Rosenberg played a crucial role in shaping the licensing requirements aimed at suppliers. These rules mandate that B2B providers avoid showcasing their software, services, and products on offshore gambling websites that target Swedish players. As Röhr steps into this challenging landscape, she'll immediately face the fresh discussion around self-exclusion regulations. Spelinspektionen is actively working to enhance player protection and strengthen the Spelpause.se self-exclusion program. This initiative is particularly timely, as some unethical operators are exploiting vulnerable individuals, using phrases like casinos not on Spelpaus to directly target those already grappling with gambling problems. Despite these challenges, Spelinspektionen remains steadfast in its mission to fortify the domestic market. It plans to impose new consumer protection demands on operators while exploring ways to make local casinos more appealing, in an effort to curb the influence of unlicensed operators.
