Swedish online gambling body supports proposed measures against match-fixing

Operators and sports associations would be able to share more data.

Sweden.- The Swedish online gambling trade association BOS has welcomed government proposals that would allow more data sharing in cases of suspected match-fixing.

A proposed amendment of chapter 17, section 8 of Sweden’s Gaming Act would allow licensed gambling operators to process players’ personal data if they suspect match-fixing and would allow licensees, the gambling regulator Spelinspektionen and sports associations to share data when match-fixing is suspected.

BOS secretary general Gustaf Hoffstedt said: “Due to GDPR and other privacy legislation, there are obstacles for betting companies and sports associations to cooperate against match-fixing, when it comes to exchanging information about individuals. The government now wants to remove that obstacle, and it is of course something that we, from the industry’s side, welcome.

“In recent years, Sweden has conducted successful work against match-fixing, and the development of suspected manipulated matches has been decreasing. An enhanced opportunity for information exchange between betting companies and sports federations further strengthens the fight against match-fixing.”

The amendment would come into force on December 1. According to the government memorandum, players’ personal data would only be processed under certain circumstances, including if it would identify a sporting event that might have been affected by match-fixing and the amount of influence the match-fixing may have had.

Data processing would be allowed when it was necessary to detect cheating, fraud and other criminal activity and to control and report aberrant playing patterns and suspicions of manipulation of results in sports with regard to betting.

Meanwhile, the Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has banned three operators that it says were targeting players without a local licence. The operators in question are Newera Frozen PTE Limited, Aprodi Limited and Galaktika NV.