The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has signed its latest partnership with a betting regulator, linking with Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Inspectorate (SGA).
The duo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding focused on bet monitoring and sports safeguarding in Sweden. The IBIA and SGA will share information regarding suspicious betting activity potentially affecting Swedish sports.
Khalid Ali, IBIA CEO, said: “IBIA is delighted to have reached this agreement with the Swedish Gambling Authority. The association is focused on working closely with the SGA to maintain the integrity of Swedish sports and the regulated betting market.
“IBIA will utilise its global customer account transaction data to identify and report suspicious betting on Swedish sporting events to the SGA and engage in any related investigatory actions. Maintaining the integrity of the market is of paramount importance.”
The partnership falls under the SGA’s wider integrity objectives, with the regulator having notified the Swedish government last year that it intends to amend its Gambling Ordinance.
Part of this sees Sweden aim to become ‘fully compliant’ with the Macolin Convention, an international legal instrument on sports manipulation, and launch an information-sharing platform between itself, licensed betting firms and national sports federations.
Camilla Rosenberg, SGA Director-General, said: “It is very important to us that information is shared regarding suspicious betting activity in order to maintain the integrity of sports.
“Therefore, we are delighted to have reached this agreement with IBIA which will be beneficial to our coordination of the national platform and general work against match-fixing. We look forward to our cooperation with IBIA.”
In October 2023, the IBIA released its integrity report for Q3 2023, finding that tennis and football were the most common sources of suspicious betting, with Europe being the most prominent continent for such activity. The Q4 2023 report will be published later this quarter.
