In a significant move to combat suspicious betting activities and uphold the integrity of Swedish sports, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA). This partnership aims to foster information-sharing regarding suspicious betting patterns on Swedish sports events, with IBIA representing the majority of the SGA-licensed betting market.
Background:
In December 2023, the Swedish Government informed the European Commission of its intention to amend the Gambling Ordinance. These proposed changes included aligning Sweden with the Macolin Convention and establishing a platform for the SGA, licensed betting operators, and national sports federations to collaboratively address suspected match-fixing.
IBIA’s Commitment:
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the association’s dedication to working closely with the SGA to preserve the integrity of both Swedish sports and the regulated betting market. Ali emphasized IBIA’s commitment to leveraging its global customer account transaction data to identify and report suspicious betting activities on Swedish sporting events promptly.
SGA’s Perspective:
Camilla Rosenberg, Director-General of the SGA, underscored the importance of sharing information to combat suspicious betting activities and maintain sports integrity. She expressed the SGA’s satisfaction with the agreement, emphasizing its potential benefits for coordinating the national platform and the broader fight against match-fixing. Rosenberg looks forward to a fruitful cooperation with IBIA.
Operational Details:
The IBIA will play a pivotal role in utilizing its global data resources to identify and report suspicious betting activities on Swedish sports. This information will be promptly shared with the SGA, enabling both entities to engage in necessary investigatory actions. The collaboration aims to create a robust framework for preventing and addressing match-fixing in the Swedish betting market.
Global Implications:
Prior to this collaboration, IBIA had applauded impending changes to sports betting laws in Brazil. These changes, designed to empower operators and authorities in dealing with corruption in sports betting, reflect a global effort to enhance the regulatory environment and ensure fair play in the industry.
The partnership between IBIA and the Swedish Gambling Authority marks a significant step forward in the ongoing efforts to combat match-fixing and preserve the integrity of sports betting. By leveraging the IBIA’s global data capabilities and the SGA’s regulatory authority, the collaboration is poised to set a precedent for effective cooperation in the international fight against corruption in sports.