The Swedish Football Association voices disapproval towards Spelinspektionen.
The Swedish Football Association (SvFF) is criticizing the gambling supervisory authority, Spelinspektionen, for not responding appropriately to suspicions of match-fixing in Division 2 Södra Svealand. This ongoing conflict between the two entities is becoming more heated. Let's go over the key events.
Barriers to Action
In Sweden, the conflict between the soccer governing body SvFF and the national gambling regulatory body Spelinspektionen is gradually escalating. The association expressed displeasure with the authority due to its failure to take decisive action against potential match-fixing in the Swedish soccer league, Division 2 Södra Svealand.
The association's suspicions center around 13 matches from last spring, some of which have been postponed due to irregular movements in connection with sports betting. These investigations are still ongoing. However, it is known that the SvFF alerted the authority to their concerns mid-July.
In response, the association asked the authority to halt betting on the league, but the authority refused to act due to legal uncertainties. According to the authority's statement, the Swedish Gambling Act "doesn't provide for any bans or other such measures to combat manipulation." The betting offers remained available.
Division 2 Södra Svealand is the fourth-highest league in Swedish soccer, consisting of 14 amateur clubs from the central Swedish region of Svealand. This includes Sweden's capital, Stockholm. Each season, there are promotions and relegations, as well as a championship.
Unsurprisingly, SvFF General Secretary Håkan Sjöstrand expressed his frustration with the authority's "inability to act." The association's unanimous verdict was that they "don't agree" with the authority's interpretation of the Gambling Act. Sjöstrand clarified his thoughts in an interview with iGamingBusiness, stating:
"It has to be possible for a competent authority to make quick decisions in time-sensitive situations like this. This needs to be addressed in the legislation."
A representative from Spelinspektionen has since spoken up, acknowledging that the authority is working on developing the necessary regulations. The SvFF's suspicions will also be further examined in the future.
Operators Respond
While a binding resolution from the authority is still pending, several well-known bookmakers have reacted to the association's accusations. These include the former state monopoly and Swedish gambling market leader, Svenska Spel, as well as Bethard, 888, and Unibet. They've decided to remove Division 2 betting offers from the market until the association finishes its investigations.
These responses were preceded by a letter from the SvFF, which contacted both the authority and the betting operators about their concerns. The league requested that they stop accepting bets on Division 2 until further notice. The association hopes that other companies will follow suit. Sjöstrand commented:
"Given Spelinspektionen's inadequate position, we hope that all reputable firms will join us. We cannot wait for the authority to finalize its regulations or change the law."
Defensive Efforts
In the absence of a binding ruling from the authority, the association plans to allocate significant resources to monitoring and prevention measures to protect Division 2 Södra Svealand for the remainder of the season. This includes increased monitoring of all matches and intensified oversight of the entire match market. Sjöstrand added that he would involve the authorities, as well as the players and employees of all SvFF-registered clubs, in various protective measures.
This situation highlights the need for further sports betting regulation in Sweden, even after the recent gambling reform allowed international providers to enter the market with comparatively strict licensing requirements. It remains to be seen whether and to what extent the supervisory authority Spelinspektionen will expand its integrity guidelines in response to these allegations.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
