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Svenska Spel CEO Expresses Frustration over Bets on Training Matches
By Shane Addinall Apr 07, 2020 IndustrySvenska Spel calls on operators to help build the gambling industry in Sweden and to step away from dubious bookmaking practices, such as the offering of odds on low ranked football teams in the amateur leagues.The Swedish Gambling Industry has only recently opened its borders to remote gambling companies on the premise that they purchase and qualify for a license to operate in the jurisdiction. As a new contender in the industry, the more open Swedish jurisdiction is trying to prove itself strong in the area of ethics and responsible gambling, in keeping with other top jurisdictions in Malta and the United Kingdom.
While Svenska Spel was rated as the best gambling company in Sweden, it still only lies 110th by the latest world rankings, leaving a lot of room for growth. Another 4 prominent Swedish betting brands ranked toward the end of same the list. It is for this reason that Svenska Spel CEO, Patrik Hofbauer has become very disappointed in some of the latest ethical undertakings within the Swedish industry, which is doing no favours for the jurisdiction’s reputation.
Breeding an Industry for Corruption
Mr. Hofbauer has voiced his outrage of the common trend of offering betting on football training matches within the country. While Svenska Spel may offer odds on certain training matches, these are only offered after working closely with the Swedish Football Association, taking a recommendation from them on what league levels should qualify for this sort of practice. Further investigation is then done into the morale of the team and their strength of character before offering their match up for the books.
Some lower amateur leagues can simply not be bet on without a massive risk of corruption. Where players are not paid much and do not care much about the outcomes of the games, they are more prone to bribery and match-fixing.
Hofbauer rhetorically asks where this leaves the respect for the sport, the responsibility of the operator towards their customers, and the level of customer protection provided by bookmakers. The CEO makes clear his views that it is the responsibility of every gaming company to help create a sustainable industry that holds to a level that deserves the confidence of both sports and consumers alike.
In Your Backyard
A classic example of what is going on in the industry is depicted in the match between a 4th league and 5th league team. Sandsbro AIK recently played Ingekstad IK. Though many readers may not have even heard of these two teams before, it didn’t stop nearly 200 gaming companies from offering bets on the game. It is estimated that around SEK 10 million may have been generated from that single match. There are other examples of this sort of undertaking. One match between two 4th division teams was allegedly called off for suspicion of match-fixing.
Fallout
It is evident that betters place their wagers in good faith that the two teams in question will do their utmost to win the game, but this is sadly not the case in all instances. As such, the Swedish regulatory authorities have much work to do when it comes to tightening the screws on sports betting of this sort. A clear path must be painted for operators to navigate within. The mentality of operators to capitalise on bookings at any cost does very little to promote confidence in the Swedish industry.
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