Swedish Gambling Authority and International Betting Integrity Association Collaborate to Safeguard Betting Integrity
January 16, 2024
Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA), and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) have formalized their commitment to sports betting integrity through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This landmark agreement brings together the Swedish regulatory body and the world’s largest international betting integrity monitor.
The MoU establishes a framework for the exchange of information related to suspicious betting activities identified in Swedish sports. IBIA, representing the majority of the SGA-licensed betting market valued at SEK4,690m in sports betting GGR in 2022, will leverage its global customer account transaction data to identify and report any suspicious betting on Swedish sporting events to the SGA. This collaboration aims to uphold the integrity of both Swedish sports and the regulated betting market.
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, expressed his satisfaction with the agreement, stating, “IBIA is delighted to have reached this agreement with the Swedish Gambling Authority. The association is focused on working closely with the SGA to maintain the integrity of Swedish sport and the regulated betting market. Maintaining the integrity of the market is of paramount importance.”
Camilla Rosenberg, Director-General of SGA, highlighted the significance of information sharing in combating match-fixing, saying, “It is very important to us that information is shared regarding suspicious betting activity in order to maintain the integrity of sports. Therefore, we are delighted to have reached this agreement with IBIA, which will be beneficial to our coordination of the national platform and general work against match-fixing. We look forward to our cooperation with IBIA.”
In December 2023, the Swedish Government notified the European Commission of its intention to amend the Gambling Ordinance, aiming to ensure full compliance with the Macolin Convention. The proposed changes include the establishment of a platform by the SGA for licensed betting operators and national sports federations to share information about suspected match-fixing.
IBIA, a globally recognized non-profit organization, plays a pivotal role in ensuring integrity in the sports betting sector. With nearly 50 member companies and over 125 leading sports betting brands, IBIA monitors over $137bn in betting turnover per annum, making it the world’s leading operator-run integrity monitoring body.
The Q3 2023 integrity report by IBIA highlighted 50 alerts reported during the quarter, with the Q4 and annual report for 2023 set to be published in the coming weeks. In 2022, the association reported 268 alerts to the authorities, resulting in successful sporting or criminal sanctions against 15 teams, officials, or players where suspicious activity had been reported by IBIA.
