Svenska Spel Extends Swedish Ice Hockey Sponsorship Until 2031

Extension Details

Svenska Spel, Sweden's state-owned gambling operator, has extended its partnership with the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) until June 2031. The extension ensures that Sweden's largest gambling operator will remain the main sponsor of both the men's and women's top-flight hockey leagues for at least five more years.

The partnership, which began in 2021, covers both leagues as well as individual clubs. It represents one of the most significant sponsorship arrangements in Swedish sport — Svenska Spel's financial support is a key revenue stream for both leagues, particularly the SDHL, which has historically struggled to attract sponsorship at levels comparable to the men's game.

• Main sponsor of both SHL and SDHL since 2021
• Partnership covers both leagues and individual clubs
• Extension runs until June 2031
• Aimed at developing Swedish elite hockey at all levels

Results for Women's Hockey

One of the most significant outcomes of the Svenska Spel partnership has been the development of the SDHL. Since the sponsorship began in 2021, women's hockey in Sweden has made measurable progress toward professionalisation:

• More than 25% of women hockey players can now earn a living from the sport — a significant increase from pre-sponsorship levels
• Conditions for players have significantly improved, including better training facilities, equipment, and travel arrangements
• Digital reach and engagement are growing, with more matches being streamed and broader social media coverage
• The league's competitive level has risen as improved conditions have attracted and retained better players

SDHL CEO Angelica Lindeberg said: "Since 2021, we have taken a clear step toward a more professional existence for our players. The extended partnership with Svenska Spel gives us the stability to continue this development and build a sustainable future for women's hockey in Sweden."

The 25% figure is particularly noteworthy. Before the sponsorship, very few women hockey players in Sweden could support themselves through the sport alone. Most held second jobs or relied on family support. The fact that a quarter of players can now earn a living from hockey represents a structural shift in the sport's economics — one that would not have been possible without the financial injection from the Svenska Spel deal.

The Social Role of State-Owned Operators

Svenska Spel's sponsorship of Swedish hockey illustrates a unique aspect of state-owned gambling operators: their ability to channel gambling revenue directly into social goods. Unlike private operators, whose profits flow to shareholders, Svenska Spel's surplus is returned to the Swedish state and directed toward public programmes.

Svenska Spel CEO Anna Johnson said: "Hockey brings people together across Sweden. We are proud to continue supporting both the SHL and SDHL, and to contribute to the development of Swedish hockey at all levels."

The sponsorship is an example of how a licensed operator can invest in sport development while remaining within regulatory boundaries. Sweden's gambling market has been regulated since 2019, when the reformed Gambling Act opened the market to private operators. However, Svenska Spel retains a unique position as the state-owned operator, with exclusive rights to certain products including land-based casino games and certain lotteries.

The Swedish Gambling Market Context

The extension comes at a time when Sweden's gambling market is undergoing significant changes. Since the 2019 market liberalisation, dozens of private operators have entered the Swedish market, creating competition for Svenska Spel that did not previously exist.

Key developments in the Swedish market include:

• Increased competition — private operators now offer casino, sports betting, and poker to Swedish players
• Regulatory tightening — Spelinspektionen (the Swedish Gambling Authority) has increased enforcement against unlicensed operators
• Marketing restrictions — Sweden has implemented stricter rules on gambling advertising
• Responsible gambling focus — mandatory deposit limits and self-exclusion requirements for all licensees

In this environment, Svenska Spel's sponsorship of hockey serves a dual purpose: it supports sport development and it reinforces the operator's brand as a socially responsible alternative to private gambling companies. By visibly investing in Swedish hockey — particularly women's hockey — Svenska Spel differentiates itself from private operators whose sponsorship spending is typically driven by marketing ROI rather than social impact.

The Contrast with Offshore Operators

The extension also highlights the contrast between licensed, state-affiliated operators and offshore platforms that contribute nothing to the communities where their players live. Offshore operators pay no Swedish taxes, fund no Swedish sport, and support no Swedish social programmes — yet they compete for the same players.

Licensed operators — including https://spinpanda.co.uk/ — operate in a legal framework where part of revenue is directed toward social projects, responsible gambling initiatives, and sport development. This creates a virtuous cycle: gambling revenue funds community programmes that benefit society, which in turn builds public acceptance of regulated gambling as a legitimate form of entertainment.

The Svenska Spel-SHL/SDHL partnership is a concrete example of this cycle in action. Swedish hockey fans who bet on SHL games through Svenska Spel know that a portion of the operator's revenue flows back into the sport they love. This creates a sense of shared investment that offshore operators cannot replicate.

Looking Ahead

The extension through 2031 provides both leagues with financial stability that will allow them to plan multi-year development programmes. For the SDHL in particular, the guaranteed revenue stream enables investments in player development, youth programmes, and infrastructure that would be difficult to fund through ticket sales and local sponsorships alone.

The challenge for both leagues will be using the Svenska Spel funding effectively — translating financial support into tangible improvements in the quality of Swedish hockey. If the next five years produce the same level of progress as the first five, the partnership will be remembered as a landmark in the development of Swedish sport.

Source: Gaming Intelligence