The Swedish Government has appointed Erik Eldhagen as the new State Secretary to Minister for Financial Markets Niklas Wykman.

The appointment will advance oversight of the country’s gambling and financial regulatory landscapes.  

Eldhagen assumes the role today (1 December) and will oversee matters related to financial markets, gambling regulation, state properties, and the financing framework for new nuclear power projects. 

Eldhagen most recently served as head of the international secretariat at the Riksbank. His background includes several senior roles within the Ministry of Finance and prior advisory experience at the World Bank.  

His appointment comes as the government accelerates reforms to the Swedish Gambling Act of 2019, which opened the regulated online market and has since been subject to ongoing review. 

Planned amendments follow recommendations from inspector Marcus Isgren and aim to close what authorities consider a salient loophole in the current law.  

Under existing rules, offshore gambling operators are judged to be targeting Sweden only if they use Swedish language or Swedish payment methods.  

The government intends to remove this condition, a change long urged by the Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen.  

Regulators argue that the clause has limited their ability to act against operators serving Swedish customers without meeting these specific criteria. 

Regulatory tightening continues on multiple fronts 

In October, the government published legislation introducing a stricter prohibition on gambling with credit, scheduled to take effect on 1 April 2026.  

The measure reflects sustained policy efforts to alleviate financial harm associated with high-risk gambling behavior. 

Spelinspektionen has also undergone leadership changes. Johan Röhr became acting director general on 1 November following the departure of Camilla Rosenberg, who led the authority for eight years.  

The transition occurs as the regulator prepares for a new enforcement paradigm shaped by the pending legislative revisions. 

Parallel to Eldhagen’s appointment, the Government named State Secretary Johan Almenberg as Director General of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority.  

He also assumed his position today, reinforcing a broader restructuring across Sweden’s financial regulatory institutions. 

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