Sweden’s stock exchange seems to have become the Mecca of online gambling companies in recent years. A recent report in Bloomberg shows that since the beginning of last year, the number of online gambling groups listed on the Stockholm exchange has climbed to 19, and many more are eyeing the option.
Some of the top brands that already call the Stockholm Stock Exchange home include LeoVegas, Cherry, Kindred Group (Unibet), Betsson and Aspire Global AB.
The groups have opted to list their stocks on the main Stockholm board known as Nasdaq Nordic, or on the smaller First North market. These numbers come to light as Sweden looks ahead to the liberalization and re-regulation of its online gambling industry. The country’s incoming gaming act is set to replace the more dated Lottery Act of 1994 and the Casino Act of 1999. One of the most significant changes to be seen will be the fact that the government-sanctioned Svenska Spel will lose its monopoly over the provision of most legal gambling services in Sweden.
As recently as June 8th this year, Better Collective joined 18 other online gambling companies to float on the Stockholm stock exchange. This number even exceeds London’s Stock Exchange which has 16 companies. A little bit less than half of the current number of online gambling companies on the First North or Nasdaq Nordic markets joined from 2017. According to Bloomberg, some of them moved from other platforms, while others were listed through initial public offerings.
The results of moving to the Swedish Stock Exchange has been a mixed bag for the companies. Some of them have done exceptionally well as a result, such as Aspire Gaming which saw an impressive 35% increase in its worth since listing in Stockholm. For others, the results haven’t been as impressive. LeoVegas, owner of some of the best brands in the business, saw its value slump by 30% since listing.
While London’s stock exchange still incorporates the largest portion of European online gaming and sports betting companies in Europe in terms of collective value, the Swedish exchange is a growing force to contend with. London and Stockholm together account for 78% of the total market value of igaming companies in Europe. The other three that make up the top five are Greece, France and Spain.
So why do online gambling companies choose Sweden’s markets to invest in?
The answer may come from the Nasdaq Head of European listings, Adam Kostyal who explains that due to its well-developed community of investors and experts, Stockholm has been earmarked as an attractive stock exchange. In addition, local entrepreneurs are open to innovation and new technology and are among the first in Europe to adopt them.
Some of the top brands that already call the Stockholm Stock Exchange home include LeoVegas, Cherry, Kindred Group (Unibet), Betsson and Aspire Global AB.
The groups have opted to list their stocks on the main Stockholm board known as Nasdaq Nordic, or on the smaller First North market. These numbers come to light as Sweden looks ahead to the liberalization and re-regulation of its online gambling industry. The country’s incoming gaming act is set to replace the more dated Lottery Act of 1994 and the Casino Act of 1999. One of the most significant changes to be seen will be the fact that the government-sanctioned Svenska Spel will lose its monopoly over the provision of most legal gambling services in Sweden.
As recently as June 8th this year, Better Collective joined 18 other online gambling companies to float on the Stockholm stock exchange. This number even exceeds London’s Stock Exchange which has 16 companies. A little bit less than half of the current number of online gambling companies on the First North or Nasdaq Nordic markets joined from 2017. According to Bloomberg, some of them moved from other platforms, while others were listed through initial public offerings.
The results of moving to the Swedish Stock Exchange has been a mixed bag for the companies. Some of them have done exceptionally well as a result, such as Aspire Gaming which saw an impressive 35% increase in its worth since listing in Stockholm. For others, the results haven’t been as impressive. LeoVegas, owner of some of the best brands in the business, saw its value slump by 30% since listing.
While London’s stock exchange still incorporates the largest portion of European online gaming and sports betting companies in Europe in terms of collective value, the Swedish exchange is a growing force to contend with. London and Stockholm together account for 78% of the total market value of igaming companies in Europe. The other three that make up the top five are Greece, France and Spain.
So why do online gambling companies choose Sweden’s markets to invest in?
The answer may come from the Nasdaq Head of European listings, Adam Kostyal who explains that due to its well-developed community of investors and experts, Stockholm has been earmarked as an attractive stock exchange. In addition, local entrepreneurs are open to innovation and new technology and are among the first in Europe to adopt them.
