IBIA partners with BOS on new Swedish restrictions

The groups said they will work together to focus on the issues presented by recent regulatory changes in Sweden, as well as promoting effective betting and integrity provisions.

Channelisation has been a hot topic in Sweden after the country introduced a number of restrictions intended to boost player protection and sporting integrity, which BOS warned would instead only help the illegal market.

These include a SEK5,000 (£439.20/€490.00/$580.30) weekly deposit limit for online casino games, which the government announced last week it plans to extend into next year. When the measures were introduced, the IBIA said they were “counterproductive” and likely to boost the offshore market.

““IBIA members have faced a number of regulatory challenges in Sweden since its opening and the betting product restrictions set to be introduced at the start of 2021 will add further burdens, notably relative to unregulated offshore operators,” IBIA chief executive Khalid Ali said. “We believe that those restrictions will prove counterproductive and we hope that the Swedish authorities will take an evidence-based approach and continually reassess their position on this matter. 

“In the meantime, we will work with our colleagues at BOS to do all we can to keep that market safe.”

BOS chief executive Gustaf Hoffstedt, meanwhile, said the IBIA’s purpose of protecting sporting integrity is also an important goal for the gambling industry.

“A clean sport, free from corruption, is of utmost importance for the gambling industry in Sweden,” he said. “The gambling industry is a victim when matches are fixed, and it is therefore crucial to not only work hard, but to work together, against manipulation in sports. 

“We are very pleased that we now deepen our collaboration with IBIA in our joint goal; that sports betting shall be fun, safe, transparent and honest.”

Last month, the IBIA published a set of new best practices for data collection, intended to increase integrity in the area.

The standards include requiring all data collection to be carried out by people aged 18 and above, whose identities have been verified, and additional background checks carried out to ensure they are no conflicts of interest. In addition, the data collation process must make clear the source, accuracy and reliability of data, by marking how it has been generated