Government’s New Measures in the Fight Against Match-Fixing
SWEDEN (May 2, 2024) — Financial Markets Minister Niklas Wykman and the Swedish Gambling Authority’s Director General Camilla Rosenberg held a joint press conference to talk about the government’s measures to increase the exchange of information between players in the gambling market with the aim of detecting and combating match-fixing. The measure means that sports federations, gambling companies and the Swedish Gambling Authority must share information about suspected cases on a common platform.
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Sports corruption, which includes match-fixing, is according to the police at an expansive stage and it is warned that organized crime is gaining ground in sports. In match fixing, it is usually someone who bets money on a fixed competition or match. It is often criminal actors who use bribery, blackmail and threats to influence the outcome. By knowing the outcome in advance, criminal actors can both earn and launder money from gambling.
– Match-fixing fattens the gangs at the same time as, among other things, harm is done to youth sports. Athletes should not be pawns in the activities of organized crime. In order to fight crime and protect sports, it is important to stop match-fixing, says Minister of Financial Markets Niklas Wykman.
Today, sports federations, betting companies and authorities may individually have vague suspicions of match-fixing or have access to information that indicates match-fixing without the possibility of sharing this information. Through expanded opportunities to share data, an overall picture of concrete suspicions can be created based on a compilation of vague suspicions of individual actors. It is therefore of great importance that these actors can exchange information with each other.
Today, the government has therefore decided on changes to regulations that contain several important measures. Above all, both opportunities and obligations are now being introduced for sports federations, betting companies and the Swedish Gambling Authority to exchange information with each other in case of suspected match-fixing. The Swedish Gaming Inspectorate is also tasked with setting up a platform through which the exchange of information is to take place.
The regulation changes come into force on 1 July 2024.
SOURCE: Press release from the Ministry of Finance.
