Registering affiliate company, tax and legal questions

Hi guys,

This side of the forums seems a bit "dead", but hopefully it will still get some attention!

I was busy setting up a casino affiliate website when I was living in the Netherlands. It was slowly starting to take off, but then we moved to Sweden and I had to "ignore" it for a while, because there were plenty of other things that needed my attention.

Now I want to pick things up again, but I want to do it properly.

I know I can register as a sole proprietorship (enskild firma), while doing that I can also register for VAT. No problem here and I think I understand what I have to do on this part.

The real question I have is that I can not find any decent information about if it is legal to have a casino affiliate website while living in Sweden. The website will be hosted in the Netherlands (Kinsta webhosting), the URL will be a .com domain, the website will be fully in English and we will NOT target Swedish players in particular. Can anyone direct me into the right direction to find more information? I see plenty of .se affiliate websites, including Swedish content, but I have no idea if they are also registered in Sweden (or registered at all).

I want to do this properly, pay my taxes and avoid running into any legal issues.

Any help is appreciated.

(Sorry for not talking Swedish yet, working on that :D)

I post this without any specific knowledge of Swedish tax law.

If you really want advice on starting a business then going to a good local accountant is probably a good start, especially as you'll want one to help navigate local tax laws. If the accountant has any issues then they'll be able to recommend a legal specialist to give you advice.

Do NOT base your business on advice taken from an online forum :no:

But since you've asked the forum ... :eyebrow:

I've been going this since 1999, the first five years as a sole trader (to see if the concept was viable) and then formed a company in 2004. I found it helpful to clearly separate the finances, and to be able to open bank accounts and claim expense better.

Generally speaking the Western world considers affiliate marketing sites as totally legal business ventures. You are not taking bets, or dealing with customer money or deposits / withdrawals. You are collecting sales commissions from online marketing efforts. Sales, marketing and advertising are very much valid businesses.

However, when discussing with banks and other professionals it is generally best to accentuate the online marketing, consulting and advertising side of this venture and minimise the gambling aspect. Banks are funny things and mentioning certain keywords ( like gambling or crypto payments) just gets their people going a bit weird and making you go through all sorts of extra AML steps.

Some countries can have specific regulations on advertising in local markets, but the fact that your site is in English and not targeting Swedish players would seem to stand you in good stead and you should have no worries there.

Good luck with your internet venture.

Thank you for your reply! Appreciate it.

I have a friend who helps me with the local tax laws, so that should not be an issue.

The main issue I am having right now is trying to find out if it would be a problem promoting brands which do not have a license in Sweden. The general consensus is indeed that it should not be an issue, because I am not targeting Swedish players and the website is hosted in the Netherlands, on a .com domain and completely in English.

The other tips you gave are really great too, will remember those if I ever get to that point. We are living in 2023 and it is strange that some people (or branches) are still going into a certain panic mode when "gambling" is mentioned. Here in Sweden 75% of the adult population says they gamble from time to time, yet people act you are doing something completely illegal if you mention you are earning money in this industry.

As Gooner said, You are in online maerketing.. when you mention the word gambling or crypto many banks will have thoughts of taking bets, and or dodgy crypto biz sales.. so just be aware on hwo you describe what you do.. which is produce content and allow advertisements on your site.