2022-11-232022/23:KrU2 · p.16KrUCulture
Public lotteries
Exemption for public-benefit purposes from the gambling law's bonus restriction
What's at stake: The decision determines which actors may offer lotteries with repeated bonuses without the consumer-protection rules that otherwise apply to the gambling market. It affects both the funding of local civil-society associations and whether party-linked lotteries can fall under the same exemption.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the gambling law's exemption from the bonus restriction for gambling run for public-benefit purposes should apply without further limitation, or whether organizations and companies linked to political parties should be explicitly excluded from that definition.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The Committee considers the exemption from the gambling law's bonus restriction for gambling run for public-benefit purposes to be justified, since this type of gambling is generally assessed as low-risk for causing gambling problems, and approves the government's proposal on this point without further restricting which organizations are covered.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 14 (SD)
The reservation (SD) opposes classifying political parties, and organizations and companies owned by political parties, as serving public-benefit purposes under the gambling law. It points out that the exemption has been used by the Social Democrats' party-owned A-lotterierna, whose revenue funds the party rather than local civil society, and calls for a review of the legislation on what counts as a public-benefit purpose.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 14 by SD.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Yes | Yes 20/0/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| S | Yes | Yes 93/0/0/14 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 15/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 20/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 59/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | No 0/63/0/10 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects motion 2021/22:4761 by Jonas Andersson i Linghem et al. (SD) claim 2.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2021/22:4761 av Jonas Andersson i Linghem m.fl. (SD) yrkande 2.
Riksdag decision: Parliament said no to parts of the former government's proposal on strengthened gaming regulation. The measures that parliament said no to concern changes to rules on restraint in marketing of games termination of the agreement between Sweden and Finland on slot machines on ferries in regular line traffic. Parliament agreed to other law changes in the proposal. Those law changes shall come into effect on 1 January 2023 and 1 July 2023.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the same bonus rules to apply to all forms of gambling to maintain consistent consumer protection. (SD) — Reservation 14
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan says nothing about lotteries or what should count as a public purpose.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan says nothing about lotteries or what should count as a public purpose. The nearest principle is that the party protects strong and independent popular movements and wants to keep politics at arm's length from their work, not to control which organizations are allowed to work. From that principle the plan speaks against the counter-proposal's demand to exclude party-affiliated organizations.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger ingenting om lotterier eller om vad som ska räknas som allmännyttigt ändamål. Närmast liggande princip är att partiet värnar starka och självständiga folkrörelser och vill hålla politiken på armlängds avstånd från deras verksamhet, inte styra vilka organisationer som får verka. Utifrån den principen talar planen mot motförslagets krav på att utestänga partinära organisationer.
- the role of popular movements is valueddecisive»Det är tillsammans med folkrörelser som Vänsterpartiet driver fram förändringar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is together with popular movements that the Left Party drives forward change.”
- independent popular movements»starka och självständiga folkrörelser som kan bidra till progressiva« (party programme ↗)“strong and independent popular movements that can contribute to progressive”
- arm's length from politics»Det är viktigt att kulturen står fri från såväl kommersiell som politisk styrning och finns i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is important that culture stands free from both commercial and political governance and exists throughout the country.”
The plan does not address the Gaming Act's definition of public-interest purposes.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address the Gaming Act's definition of public-interest purposes. The closest principle is that civil society and popular movements shall be given good conditions and that open reporting, not exclusion, is the answer to questions about party financing. Based on this, the plan speaks against organizations with party ties being disqualified as public-interest.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte spellagens definition av allmännyttiga ändamål. Närmast liggande princip är att civilsamhället och folkrörelserna ska ges goda villkor och att öppen redovisning, inte uteslutning, är svaret på frågor om partiernas finansiering. Utifrån detta talar planen mot att organisationer med partikoppling ska diskvalificeras som allmännyttiga.
- good conditions for civil societydecisive»Politiken måste formas i en levande dialog med det civila samhälle och ska skapa goda villkor för civilsamhällets utveckling.« (party programme ↗)“Policy must be shaped in a living dialogue with civil society and shall create good conditions for civil society's development.”
- open party financing»Partierna ska vara skyldiga att öppet redovisa de bidrag de erhåller från utomstående organisationer, intressen och företag.« (party programme ↗)“Parties shall be obliged to openly report grants received from outside organizations, interests and companies.”
- civil society bears democracy»Ett starkt och levande civilsamhälle är demokratins underbyggnad.« (party programme ↗)“A strong and living civil society is the foundation of democracy.”
The plan does not address the Gambling Act's definition of public benefit purposes.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address the Gambling Act's definition of public benefit purposes. Closest related principles are that corruption shall be combated, not least in the political sphere, and that support shall go to local association life and idea-driven organizations. On the basis of these principles, the plan speaks for a review that distinguishes party-affiliated lottery activities from local association life.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte spellagens definition av allmännyttiga ändamål. Närmast liggande principer är att korruption ska motarbetas, inte minst i den politiska sfären, och att stödet ska gå till lokalt föreningsliv och idéburna organisationer. Utifrån dessa principer talar planen för en översyn som skiljer partianknuten lotteriverksamhet från det lokala föreningslivet.
- combat corruption in politicsdecisive»Alla former av korruption« (party programme ↗)“All forms of corruption”
- support for local association life»Föreningsliv och idéburna organisationer bidrar till socialt hållbara samhällen och« (party programme ↗)“Association life and idea-driven organizations contribute to socially sustainable societies and”
- restrictive gambling policy»liksom reklam för spel och alkohol.« (party programme ↗)“as well as advertising for games and alcohol.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan explicitly requires that rules for financing political parties be tightened and that parties' resilience against external influence be strengthened.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires that rules for financing political parties be tightened and that parties' resilience against external influence be strengthened. It also wants to make Sweden more transparent with a lobbying register and tightened corruption rules. The counter-proposal's demand that party-linked lottery activities should not be classified as non-profit and that the concept be reviewed follows from these commitments and from the fact that civil society's own associations are what the plan wants to protect.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen att reglerna för finansiering av politiska partier skärps och att partiernas motståndskraft mot yttre påverkan rustas. Den vill också göra Sverige mer transparent med lobbyregister och skärpta korruptionsregler. Motförslagets krav på att partikopplad lotteriverksamhet inte ska räknas som allmännyttig, och att begreppet ses över, följer av dessa åtaganden och av att civilsamhällets egna föreningar är det planen vill värna.
- tightened party financing rulesdecisive»Reglerna för finansiering av politiska partier bör skärpas och deras motståndskraft mot yttre påverkan och infiltration rustas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Rules for financing political parties should be tightened and their resilience against external influence and infiltration should be strengthened.”
- transparency against corruption»Sverige ska bli ännu mer transparent. Vi vill inrätta en antikorruptionsmyndighet, skärpa regler mot korruption och införa ett lobbyregister.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should become even more transparent. We want to establish an anti-corruption agency, tighten corruption rules and introduce a lobbying register.”
- civil society's intrinsic value»Det civila samhället, människornas frivilliga organisering, är en fundamental del av varje väl fungerande demokrati och välfärdsstat.« (party programme ↗)“Civil society, people's voluntary organisation, is a fundamental part of every well-functioning democracy and welfare state.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The documents do not address gaming law or what should be counted as public-interest purposes.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The documents do not address gaming law or what should be counted as public-interest purposes. The closest commitments are that parties' financing shall be disclosed by law and that monitoring of charitable giving shall be strengthened, along with support going to the civil society's associational life. Derived from that, the plan argues that lottery revenues going to party activities should not be equated with public interest and that the concept should be reviewed.
Original (Swedish)
Dokumenten behandlar inte spellagen eller vad som ska räknas som allmännyttiga ändamål. Närmast liggande åtaganden är att partiernas finansiering ska redovisas i lag och att uppföljningen av bidragsgivning ska stärkas, tillsammans med att stödet ska gå till det civila samhällets föreningsliv. Härlett därifrån talar planen för att lotteriintäkter som går till partiverksamhet inte ska likställas med allmännytta och att begreppet ses över.
- transparency about party financingdecisive»Partiernas skyldighet att redovisa källorna för sin« (party programme ↗)“Parties' obligation to disclose the sources of their”
- transparency in charitable giving»Vi vill både stärka uppföljningen av bidragsgivning och stoppa dold finansiering av trossamfund så att de inte blir verktyg för extremistiska krafter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want both to strengthen monitoring of charitable giving and stop hidden financing of faith communities so that they do not become tools for extremist forces.”
- good conditions for associational life»Politiken ska bidra till att det civila samhället ges goda förutsättningar.« (party programme ↗)“Policy shall help to give the civil society good conditions.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The counter-proposal wants organizations and companies with links to political parties not to be counted as charitable in the meaning of the gaming act and calls for a review.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal wants organizations and companies with links to political parties not to be counted as charitable in the meaning of the gaming act and calls for a review. The party programme emphasizes that voluntary organizations are independent from the public sector, that voluntary activities shall take precedence over commercial interests and that associations shall be politically independent. That lottery revenues go to party activities instead of to local civil society contradicts that line.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget vill att organisationer och bolag med koppling till politiska partier inte ska räknas som allmännyttiga i spellagens mening och efterlyser en översyn. Principprogrammet framhåller att ideella organisationer är fristående från den offentliga sektorn, att ideell verksamhet ska gå före kommersiella intressen och att gemenskaper ska vara partipolitiskt oberoende. Att lotteriintäkter går till partiverksamhet i stället för till lokalt föreningsliv står i strid med den linjen.
- voluntary organizations independentdecisive»Det är viktigt att politiker och offentliga tjänstemän inser att ideella organisationer är fristående från den offentliga« (party programme ↗)“It is important that politicians and public officials realize that voluntary organizations are independent from the public”
- voluntary activities before commercial»Ideell verksamhet ska prioriteras framför kommersiella intressen vid utformningen av statens och kommunernas fritidspolitik.« (party programme ↗)“Voluntary activities shall be prioritized over commercial interests in the design of state and municipal leisure policy.”
- politically independent associations»Starka och partipolitiskt oberoende fackföreningar« (party programme ↗)“Strong and politically independent trade unions”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The documents say nothing about gaming law bonus rules or what shall count as general utility purposes.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The documents say nothing about gaming law bonus rules or what shall count as general utility purposes. The nearest principle is that society is larger than the state and that independent civil society spheres constitute a power balance against politics; an exemption that in practice finances party activities rather than local organised society fits poorly in that picture. Based on that principle, the demand for a review is supported, but the basis is weak.
Original (Swedish)
Dokumenten säger ingenting om spellagens bonusregler eller om vad som ska räknas som allmännyttiga ändamål. Närmast liggande princip är att samhället är större än staten och att fristående civilsamhälleliga sfärer utgör en maktbalans mot politiken; ett undantag som i praktiken finansierar partiverksamhet snarare än lokalt föreningsliv passar illa i den bilden. Utifrån den principen stöds kravet på en översyn, men underlaget är svagt.
- society larger than the statedecisive»där samhället också är större än staten« (party programme ↗)“where society is also larger than the state”
- independent civil society»Starka självständiga institutioner och en pluralism av samhällssfärer ger en viktig maktbalans i samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Strong independent institutions and a plurality of social spheres give an important power balance in society.”
flags: planen_saknar_spelpolitik
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The counter-proposal wants organizations and companies with party affiliation not to be counted as non-profit, since revenues go to party activities instead of local civil society.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal wants organizations and companies with party affiliation not to be counted as non-profit, since revenues go to party activities instead of local civil society. The plan explicitly points out that organizations with important societal assignments are tied to political parties in a way that distorts democratic conditions. The plan also wants to promote the vitality of civil society and the sports movement, which argues that lottery funds should go there and not to parties.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget vill att organisationer och bolag med partikoppling inte ska räknas som allmännyttiga, eftersom intäkterna går till partiverksamhet i stället för till lokalt föreningsliv. Planen pekar uttryckligen ut att organisationer med viktiga samhällsuppdrag är partipolitiskt knutna på ett sätt som snedvrider de demokratiska förutsättningarna. Planen vill också främja föreningslivet och idrottsrörelsens livskraft, vilket talar för att lotterimedel ska gå dit och inte till partier.
- depoliticize civil societydecisive(party programme)
- promote civil society»Samhället bör i större utsträckning tillgodose behovet av idrottsanläggningar, främja föreningslivet och underlätta elitklubbar att bedriva verksamhet på en nivå som mäter sig i internationell konkurrens.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society should to a greater extent meet the need for sports facilities, promote civil society and facilitate elite clubs to conduct activities at a level that measures itself against international competition.”
- support for the sports movement»Ge idrottsrörelserna förutsättningar till fortsatt livskraft« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give sports movements conditions for continued vitality”
flags: citat_ej_verifierat
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:KrU2)
- Committee report full text (HA01KrU2)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2021/22:4755 — med anledning av prop. 2021/22:242 En förstärkt spelreglering av Vasiliki Tsouplaki m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2021/22:4758 — med anledning av prop. 2021/22:242 En förstärkt spelreglering av Catarina Deremar m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2021/22:4759 — med anledning av prop. 2021/22:242 En förstärkt spelreglering av Kristina Axén Olin m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2021/22:4760 — med anledning av prop. 2021/22:242 En förstärkt spelreglering av Roland Utbult m.fl. (KD)
- Motion 2021/22:4761 — med anledning av prop. 2021/22:242 En förstärkt spelreglering av Jonas Andersson i Linghem m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:12 — med anledning av prop. 2021/22:242 En förstärkt spelreglering av Jonas Andersson m.fl. (SD)
- Proposition 2021/22:242 — En förstärkt spelreglering
Source: The Swedish Parliament