Svenska Spel CEO Trashes Gaming Inspectorates Match Fixing Bill

Match-fixing is an ongoing scourge in the worlds of local and international sports fixtures. It is therefore objectively a problem which requires action from sports and gambling bodies to combat.

Swedish news outlet Dagens Nyheter reported on the disturbing connection between local soccer matches and fatal shootings into the cities of Malmö and Gothenburg.

This clear and dangerous connection between fixed sporting events and organised crime was one of the speaking points raised by Svenska Spel CEO, Patrik Hofbauer as he dissected the Gaming Inspectorates recent attempt at a match-fixing bill.

 Riddled With Holes

Addressing what he feels are glaring shortfalls in the Gaming Inspectorates draft regulations Hofbauer pulled no punches stating simply:

“Unfortunately, we are forced to conclude that the Gaming Inspectorate's proposal is both inadequate and inconsistent. It lacks basic parameters to safeguard sports, counteract gambling and strengthen consumer protection.”

He would go on to add that the proposal was much like “a patchwork blanket with large holes in it”.

In particular he points out that Svenska Spel goes to great lengths to protect both sports development and betting fans by limiting bets on lower division games where he believes players are more susceptible to bribes and intimidation and it is more difficult to track such interference. The Inspectorates proposal does nothing to address this issue leaving those divisions open to manipulation.

Also, while the bill proposed removing bets on the number yellow and red card it still allows for the number of corners and throw-ins to be bet on. Both in-game actions are as easy, if not easier, to manipulate than foul cards Hofbauer argues.

Finally, in what appears to be an attempt to protect their lower than projected channelisation (gambling at legal Swedish gambling sites) numbers, the draft regulations aim to focus their protections only on games played on Swedish soil.

Hofbauer argues that this money first, statistics first, mentality is at odds with the Swedish governments demand that “the Swedish gaming market should be characterized by a high level of consumer protection and a high level of security” in all of its games.

 Time To Take A Stand

Hofbauer has called out the Gaming Inspectorate challenging them to address the highlighted shortcomings of their draft regulation and demanding that they take a stand in line with their directives, not their stats or revenue projections:

“If the Gaming Inspectorate wants to strengthen consumer protection and protect sports, then regulations are needed that put those aspects in the first room.”

This would mean taking a firmer stance on how they regulate and punish iGaming providers who choose to circumvent Swedish gaming laws as well as revisiting the holes in their sports betting proposal with an eye to making the types of bets allowed as restrictive as necessary to protect both bettors and players.