The Swedish Supreme Court has granted the editors of two popular tabloid newspapers the right to appeal criminal prosecutions for accepting advertisements from foreign gambling companies. Wednesday’s decision obliges the Court of Appeal to assess the compatibility of Swedish gambling legislation with EC law in light of recent European Commission action and last year’s Placanica verdict.

The European Court of Justice held further oral proceedings related to cross-border gambling last week, with preliminary opinions on three separate cases from both Austria and Sweden due to be published in late February.

With Europe’s online gambling sector awaiting a formal opinion on the legality of Dutch gambling policy tomorrow, the ECJ has confirmed that Swedish rules on online gambling will be next in line for scrutiny before Europe’s top court in the New Year.

Sweden is currently considering reforms to its gambling legislation, including more stringent advertising restrictions and blocking measures. Sweden's gambling regulation will again come under scrutiny in January when two high profile advertising prosecution referral cases will be heard in the ECJ.

The former and current editors-in-chief of the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet have written to the European Commission urging it to accelerate its overdue infringement procedures against Sweden over sports betting. The letter could open an important new front in the battle over private sector betting in the Nordic region.

Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet has said it intends to publish an advertisement for Maltese gambling company Expekt, despite a court ruling on Thursday authorizing stiff penalties if it goes ahead.

The European Commission announced yesterday that it plans to launch an investigation into the online poker operations of Sweden’s gambling monopoly Svenska Spel. While Germany also received a widely anticipated notice of infringement over its controversial Interstate Treaty, it may be the Swedish inquiry that has the potential to bring about more rapid change.

Under fire from the EU over its gaming laws, Sweden’s prosecutors have now been advised to halt their attempts to prosecute media organisations that accept advertising from foreign bookmakers. The delay, ordered until the EU completes its infringement processes, means that many of the ongoing cases will expire before they can be tried.

An official study of Swedish gambling legislation has recommended the introduction of a licensing system that would divide gambling offers on the basis of their risk to players, and proposes that Svenska Spel be allowed to maintain its monopoly over land-based casinos, lotteries and online poker. But with the changes not scheduled to take effect for a further two years, observers question whether the proposals will be enough to placate the European Commission in Brussels.

Internet gambling operator Betsson will open a retail outlet in Stockholm later this week, in apparent defiance of Sweden’s current gambling law. Modelling the outlet on those at the heart of the ECJ’s Placanica case, Betsson believes current European legal doubts will leave Swedish authorities unwilling to take action, although rival online operators seem reluctant to follow their lead.