Sweden’s gamblers are facing tough new limits on their activity after the government proposed temporary rules in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, Sweden’s Social Security Minister Ardalan Shekarabi unveiled a set of proposals to limit gamblers’ possible exposure to harm during the pandemic. The proposals will be up for public discussion until May 7 and Shekarabi (pictured) hopes they will take force on June 1 with an expiration date at the end of 2020.

The proposals include a weekly gambling deposit limit of SEK5k (US$500) with a corresponding loss limit for “gaming on vending machines.” It will be mandatory for players to set time limits for gambling with online casino products and vending machines, and bonus offers will be limited to SEK100.

Shekarabi, who warned earlier this month that a corona-crackdown was in the works, said the new rules were necessary because some Swedish online gambling licensees are reporting “strong progress” in online casino activity – “one of the most risky forms of gambling” – due to the current lack of major sports events on which to wager.