Swedish Youth to Get Educated on Avoiding Match Fixing

Swedish gambling operator, Svenska Spel, a former state’s gambling monopoly, announced that it will be working together with Swedish Elite Football (SEF) on teaching young players about avoiding their participation in match fixing.

Spel wants to teach young Swedish football players that integrity is the most important thing…

…and that cheating is never the answer to get fast money.

It is planned to teach players during The Gothia Cup, which is a Swedish annual youth football tournament.

“As a young player you probably have not reflected so much around match fixing; you play football because it’s fun. By highlighting the issue early on, we hope to prevent future match fixing,” Anders Wikström, a former player, commented on this collaboration.

A Word from the CEO

Spel’s CEO, Patrik Hofbauer, maintained that this is a very important step in making games safer for both players and bettors:

“If gambling safety is not guaranteed, we will refrain from offering games. Our customers should be confident that the games we offer are decided by fair play. It is something that sport also requires from gaming companies,” Hofbauer said.

The regulatory body decided to take this step because corruption in Swedish football leagues is currently in focus.

The company’s CEO added that the regulator has been investigating a few games because it suspects match fixing…

…including a football match between Kalmar and Elfsborg, which took place May 26.

Hofbauer also added that his company has its own methods to stand in the way of corruption.

“When we discover betting anomalies that cannot be linked to natural causes, we stop the betting process immediately. We are determined that the cheats do not win,” he said.

Paying Attention to the Integrity

Hofbauer also mentioned that just like is the case in youth leagues, lower leagues are also much harder to control when it comes to match fixing.

Because of this, he believes that betting on games within those leagues should not be permitted…

…except in cases where the integrity of the game can be verified.

The regulatory body for the new Swedish gambling market has been actively trying to make gambling a better-rated activity in the country.

The regulator especially aims to stand in the way of underage football offerings which is definitely not allowed in this country.

Svenska Spel Accused of Violating Ad Rules

The regulator was recently accused of violating ad rules and was reported for advertising the company’s products…

…without including a message regarding responsible gaming which is necessary according to ad rules.

The trade group for Sweden’s licensed iGaming operators called, Branschföreningen för onlinespel, or BOS, actually filed a complaint against the body to the Granskningsnämnden media regulator.

In the complaint, BOS noted that Spel was promoting its products like Triss, Keno, and Lotto during morning shows on television…

…without mentioning anything about responsible gambling.

Source:

“Svenska Spel teaches the youth not to participate in match fixing”, Derek Tonin, calvinayre.com, June 6, 2019.