Sweden considers further measures against unlicensed gambling, match-fixing
A new proposal requires changes in the Gaming Act that can ban all unlicensed gaming from Sweden. If the government approves the stricter restrictions, even licensed gaming operators who do not target Swedish players may be banned. In addition to a fight against unlicensed play, the proposal requires strict measures against match-fixing.
Will Sweden ban all unlicensed operators?
Sweden, one of the countries that already has strict rules of the game, is considering introduce even stricter measures. A new examination of the Gaming Act may propose stricter rules aimed at restrict all unlicensed providers from offering services in the country. Director General of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Gunnar Larsson led a new inquiry proposing amendments to the Gaming Act.
The proposal aims to introduce stricter restrictions that apply to all online gaming activities that Swedish players can access. In other words, if the proposal is accepted, all unlicensed gaming activity may be restricted, not just those that are specifically aimed at the Swedish players.
”We view positively the proposals that strengthen our ability to work more effectively against unlicensed play and match-fixing.”
Gunnar Larsson, Director General of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce
Larsson, who presented the investigation on behalf of the government, outlined that the proposals will help the fight against unlicensed operators, and match fixing. The Director General of the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate, Camilla Rosenberg, added that the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate looks forward to cooperating with “the players to better achieve the goals of the gaming market reform.”
According to the proposal, the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate could request information from payment providers in the case of gaming companies operating without a license. The supervisory authority may also have the opportunity to carry out “test purchases” for various online games to determine whether these gaming sites allow payment from Swedish players.
Additional steps to beat match fixing
In addition to unlicensed operators, the new proposal aims to counter match-fixing. The proposal entrusts the supervisory authority with do research on match-fixing, which would allow the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate to collect and analyze evidence.
In addition, licensed operators to offer sports betting will need report suspicious matching to the controller. When the regulator discovers suspicious matches, it must immediately notify the relevant sports association, as well as the gaming operator.
In addition to reporting suspected match-fixing, the new regulations suggest it operators monitor whether sports players have placed bets. As a violation of the rules for match-fixing, licensees must also report such cases to the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate. The proposal also calls on licensed operators to report suspected matching to sports federations.