Why is the Swedish gambling law so strict? For many years there was a gambling monopoly in Sweden and all types of games for money were owned by the state. When online casinos first appeared on the market, many countries quickly introduced licenses as a way to regulate this new digital arena. Malta was one of the first countries to do this. Sweden chose to go its own way, as several times before. The state wasn’t willing to let go of the monopoly until 2019, when there was a change.