Swedish regulator breaks silence on new sports betting restrictions

Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling authority, has clarified the scope of new betting restrictions, highlighting that these controls will also affect esports betting. 

The latest restrictions, in reference to the yellow card betting ban, are set to begin the 1st January 2021 and will only apply to competitions played domestically. The ban was created in hope that it would curb match-fixing. Under these controls, players must be 18 or over to bet and operators will not be allowed to accept bets on football outside of the top four divisions in Sweden.  

Furthermore, betting on individual performance in sports competition for an athlete is prevented for those who are under 18 years of age and encompasses scoring and shots on goal, as well as the following competitive sports: tennis, badminton, table tennis, shooting, skiing, and individual performances in athletics.  

Notably, Spelinspektionen added that the regulation will be extended to not only traditional sports but also esport betting, which has seen a rise since the start of the pandemic as gamblers sought alternatives to land-based betting. 

In addition to the geographical logistics, if a match shared with another country, regulations will only be subjected to bets on the outcome for both parties or the match played in Sweden. For esports, this implies that the regulations will come into effect when the competitions take place on home soil. 

Nonetheless, not all were onboard with the decision put forward by the Swedish gambling authority as news of the regulation caused a stir within the industry. 

For instance, The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) highlighted concern that tight restrictions on betting could cause people to turn to unsecure offshore operators who accentuate the danger posed by match-fixers. 

Svenska Spel added to the conversation deeming the rules ineffective as they still allow for sports manipulation. 

In addition, Sweden has also planned to extent its controversial online casino restrictions until June 30th 2021, prompting criticism from industry powerhouses such as Kindred Group.

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