SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Swedish gambling authority Spelinspektionen has revealed a new draft regulation which could prohibit operators from offering certain markets on individual performance.
The legislation is currently awaiting review, however it could mean that betting operators must not offer betting markets on ‘a rule violation or loss in parts.’ For example, it is not allowed to offer bets on whether a football player should receive a yellow card or if a tennis player will make double fault.
Spelinspektionen General Director Camilla Rosenberg commented: “With this measure we counteract that athletes manipulate results themselves. At the same time, the motive of an outsider is reduced to trying to influence an individual practitioner.
“When we have a decision on the regulations after a referral, we will continue to follow developments in this area. If it turns out that more measures are needed then we will take them.”
The regulator hopes that such legislation would mitigate the risk of match fixing, and has outlined further proposals to ban markets on the individual performance of minors.
During 2019, Swedish betting leadership urged Spelinspektionen to provide definition and clarification on market wagering restrictions, as the inspectorate fined multiple licensed incumbents for offering betting markets on ‘the individual performances of under-18 players during football matches’.
Khalid Ali, CEO of International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), said: “IBIA will be reviewing the proposal closely with its members and of course we are keen to work with any regulatory authority on practical and necessary proposals to address betting related match-fixing. However, from the data we have, it is difficult to see that the proposal to prohibit certain markets is justified or will be effective.
“There is a range of evidence that the markets proposed to be prohibited are not the markets that corrupters primarily focus on as liquidly levels are too low and illicit activity more easily identified. Furthermore, corrupters often seek to place bets outside of the territory where the event is corrupted, notably on the unregulated market in Asia, making Swedish market restrictions ineffective.
“There is a danger that this will primarily serve to deprive innocent Swedish consumers from accessing well-regulated products and which in turn will place strain on the attractiveness of the market and the level of channeling to Swedish operators, which was the foundation of the market licensing and reform.”
