The Swedish gaming monopoly, Svenska Spel, announced that from 2010, the minimum gambling age in the country will be 18. This means that anybody under the age of 18 will not be allowed to buy lottery tickets.

“Corporate social responsibility is an important cornerstone of Svenska Spel’s business,” said Meta Persdotter, the Chief Executive Officer of Svenska Spel. “Our ambition is to minimize underage gambling wherever it may occur. To do so we must also be clear and consistent in our view of gaming and age limits, particularly towards our business partners and customers.”

Svenska Spel also said that it would increase its investment in problem gambling support and announced that a further SEK 3 million will be spent to ensure continuous support for gamblers who need assistance.

“Today it is not our task to finance the treatment of people with gambling problems, but on the other hand, we must prioritize the consideration of social protection,” said Persdotter.