# Slot Machine Act

> Swedish law from the year 1982 regarding Slot machines

**Wikidata**: [Q100341819](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q100341819)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/slot-machine-act

## Summary
The Slot Machine Act (Swedish: *Lag (1982:636) om anordnande av visst automatspel*) is a Swedish statute enacted on June 17, 1982, that regulated the operation of certain automatic games, commonly known as slot machines. Also referred to as the Pinball Act, this law remained in force for over 40 years until its official discontinuation on January 1, 2023, establishing a long-standing legal framework for gaming device regulation in Sweden.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title**: Lag (1982:636) om anordnande av visst automatspel (Act on the Arrangement of Certain Automatic Games)
- **Legal Citation**: SFS 1982:636, the standard Swedish citation format for statutes
- **Publication Date**: June 17, 1982, marking its entry into force
- **Discontinuation Date**: January 1, 2023, when the act ceased to have legal effect
- **Jurisdiction**: Applies exclusively to Sweden, covering the entire national territory
- **Legislative Form**: Classified as a *statute*, which is a formal written document that creates law
- **Language**: Swedish is the sole official language of the legislative text
- **Alternative Name**: Commonly known as the "Pinball Act" in English contexts
- **Copyright Status**: Public domain under Swedish copyright law, specifically Chapter 2, Section 26 § of the Swedish Copyright Act
- **Document Identifier**: Swedish Riksdag document ID *sfs-1982-636* for internal cataloging
- **Primary Source URL**: Official text available at https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-1982636-om-anordnande-av-visst-automatspel_sfs-1982-636
- **Digital Formats**: Accessible as HTML and Office Open XML Wordprocessing Document (ECMA-376 1st Edition)
- **Maintaining Body**: Project Riksdagen's documents, a dedicated WikiProject for legislative documentation
- **Fandom References**: Documented in gaming wikis including gamicus:Slot_Machine_Act and video-games:Slot_Machine_Act

## FAQs
**What exactly did the Slot Machine Act regulate?**
The Slot Machine Act established the legal framework for organizing and operating certain automatic games in Sweden, specifically targeting coin-operated gaming machines commonly referred to as slot machines or pinball machines. It defined the conditions under which such devices could be legally placed and operated within Swedish jurisdiction.

**When was the Slot Machine Act active?**
The law was published on June 17, 1982, and remained in continuous effect for more than four decades until it was formally discontinued on January 1, 2023, providing regulatory stability throughout its 40-plus year lifespan.

**Is the Slot Machine Act still legally binding?**
No, the Slot Machine Act is no longer enforceable. It was officially discontinued as of January 1, 2023, meaning its provisions no longer govern the operation of automatic gaming machines in Sweden.

**Where can I find the original text of the Slot Machine Act?**
The complete legislative text is publicly available through the Swedish Riksdag's official website at two URLs: an HTML version at https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/_sfs-1982-636 and a downloadable Office Open XML Wordprocessing Document at http://data.riksdagen.se/dokument/sfs-1982-636.

**What language is the Slot Machine Act written in?**
The act was drafted and published exclusively in Swedish, which is the official language of Swedish legislation. No official translations are referenced in the source material.

**Can the Slot Machine Act be reproduced or shared freely?**
Yes, the act is in the public domain under Swedish copyright law (Chapter 2, Section 26 §), which exempts official legislative texts from copyright protection, ensuring unrestricted public access and distribution.

## Why It Matters
The Slot Machine Act matters because it provided Sweden with a dedicated statutory framework for controlling automatic gaming devices for over 40 years, representing one of the earliest and most stable regulatory approaches to mechanical and electronic gambling entertainment in the Nordic region. Its existence demonstrates how specialized legislation can address emerging technologies—in this case, the proliferation of coin-operated gaming machines in public spaces during the late 20th century. The act's long duration indicates its effectiveness in establishing clear rules that required only periodic amendment rather than complete replacement. Furthermore, its public domain status and digital availability through Project Riksdagen's documents exemplify Sweden's commitment to governmental transparency, allowing researchers, legal professionals, and the public to freely access and study historical gaming regulations. The law's inclusion in gaming-specific fandom wikis also highlights its cultural significance beyond pure legal circles, showing how legislation intersects with entertainment history and retro gaming communities.

## Notable For
- **Specificity**: Targets "visst automatspel" (certain automatic games) rather than all gaming devices, creating a narrow regulatory scope
- **Longevity**: Remained unchanged in its core form for over 40 years, from 1982 to 2023
- **Alternative Naming**: Known in English as both "Slot Machine Act" and "Pinball Act," reflecting different gaming community terminologies
- **Public Accessibility**: Explicitly designated as public domain under Swedish copyright law, ensuring free distribution
- **Digital Preservation**: Maintained by an active WikiProject dedicated to Riksdagen's documents, ensuring ongoing digital curation
- **Multiple Format Availability**: Offered in both HTML and standardized Office Open XML formats for different user needs
- **Gaming Community Documentation**: Uniquely referenced in video game wikis, bridging legal and gaming culture documentation

## Body

### Statutory Identity and Classification
The Slot Machine Act is formally classified as a *statute*, which by definition represents a formal written document that creates law. This classification places it within the highest tier of legislative instruments in Sweden, alongside other acts and executive orders. The act's full Swedish title, *Lag (1982:636) om anordnande av visst automatspel*, precisely identifies its purpose: regulating the arrangement of certain automatic games. Its legal citation, SFS 1982:636, follows the Swedish Code of Statutes (*Svensk författningssamling*) system, where "SFS" stands for the official compilation, "1982" denotes the year of enactment, and "636" represents its sequential number within that year's legislative output. The act is also known by the English alias "Pinball Act," suggesting its application to pinball machines as well as slot machines.

### Temporal Scope and Legal Timeline
The Slot Machine Act was published on June 17, 1982, a date that marks its official promulgation and entry into legal force. For more than 40 years, it governed the landscape of automatic gaming devices throughout Sweden. The law's effective period concluded on January 1, 2023, when it was formally discontinued. This end date represents a clear legislative decision to supersede or consolidate the act's provisions within newer regulatory frameworks, likely reflecting modernized approaches to gambling and gaming regulation that account for digital and online platforms.

### Geographic and Jurisdictional Application
The act applies to the entire jurisdiction of Sweden, a constitutional monarchy and unitary state in Northern Europe. Sweden's legal system, as a representative democracy with a unicameral parliament (Riksdag), provides the constitutional foundation for such statutes. The act's jurisdiction is explicitly national, meaning its provisions extended to all municipalities and counties within Swedish territory, from urban centers like Stockholm to rural municipalities across Norrland.

### Documentation and Publication Details
The Slot Machine Act was published in a formal legislative compilation identified as Q100565287 in structured data systems. The Swedish Riksdag maintains the official record under document ID *sfs-1982-636*, which serves as a persistent identifier across all government databases. The law is described at a specific URL: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-1982636-om-anordnande-av-visst-automatspel_sfs-1982-636. This page provides the authoritative Swedish text. The act is written in Swedish, which became the sole official language of Sweden in 2009, though it had long been the de facto language of legislation.

### Digital Accessibility and File Formats
The full text of the Slot Machine Act is available through multiple digital channels. Users can access an HTML version at https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/_sfs-1982-636, which allows for web-based reading and search functionality. Additionally, a machine-readable Office Open XML Wordprocessing Document conforming to the ECMA-376 1st Edition standard is available at http://data.riksdagen.se/dokument/sfs-1982-636. This dual-format approach accommodates both casual researchers and those requiring structured document processing capabilities.

### Copyright and Public Domain Status
Under Swedish copyright law, specifically Chapter 2, Section 26 § of the Copyright Act, official legislative texts are excluded from copyright protection. This determination method explicitly places the Slot Machine Act in the public domain. Consequently, the text can be reproduced, distributed, and modified without restriction, facilitating its inclusion in academic publications, legal databases, and even gaming community resources.

### Maintenance and Community Documentation
The act is actively maintained by Project Riksdagen's documents, a WikiProject dedicated to curating and preserving Swedish legislative documentation. This ensures the act's metadata remains accurate and its digital links functional. Beyond official channels, the Slot Machine Act has been documented in gaming-focused fandom wikis under article IDs *gamicus:Slot_Machine_Act* and *video-games:Slot_Machine_Act*, indicating its relevance to video game history enthusiasts and researchers studying the legal regulation of gaming entertainment.

### Technical Identifiers and Cross-References
The act carries multiple identifiers for systematic organization. Its Swedish Riksdag document ID *sfs-1982-636* aligns with its SFS citation. The Wikidata description succinctly summarizes it as "Swedish law from the year 1982 regarding Slot machines." These identifiers enable precise linking across legal databases, academic citations, and digital knowledge graphs.

## References

1. [Lag (1982:636) om anordnande av visst automatspel](http://data.riksdagen.se/dokument/sfs-1982-636)
2. [Lag (1982:636) om anordnande av visst automatspel](http://rkrattsbaser.gov.se/sfst?bet=1982:636)