Kambi becomes first sports betting supplier to join Sweden’s BOS
Online trade association attacks Swedish match-fixing proposals claiming it will drive black-market betting
Sports betting supplier Kambi has joined the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS), the organisation has confirmed.
BOS CEO Gustaf Hoffstedt hailed the adding of Kambi to its membership as a “milestone”, highlighting it as being the first sports betting supplier to join the association.
“I am convinced that Kambi has plenty to offer in our efforts to create a prosperous Swedish gambling market. Having worked with a broad variety of gambling operators, their experience is unique.
“I am particularly convinced that Kambi’s knowledge will contribute greatly to the effort on conserving and strengthening the integrity in sports,” Hoffstedt added.
BOS counts Nordic-focused operators Mr Green, Kindred, Betsson and NetEnt among its members, as well as global firms such as bet365, GVC and Flutter Entertainment.
Tommaso Di Chio, Kambi associate general counsel, said the B2B supplier looked forward to working with BOS to strengthen and improve the Swedish market.
“Kambi is delighted to have been elected to join BOS, an organisation aligned with our aims of building a successful and sustainable betting market in Sweden that not only protects players through high rates of channelisation, but safeguards the integrity of sport through sensible regulation,” Di Chio added.
Earlier this week, BOS Hoffstedt attacked the Swedish Gambling Authority’s proposed new restrictions on sports betting markets to prevent match-fixing in Sweden.
The SGA has proposed new regulations which include whether penalties will be awarded, penalty conversions, red or yellow cards, warnings and disqualifications or similar events.
“BOS’ general position on betting restrictions is that all restrictions strengthen match fixing. Limiting the offers of licensed actors hampers the ability to counter match fixing for several reasons. To demand that the gambling operators never offer bets on events where a majority of participants are under 18 means they will need to ensure a significant margin.
“The very regulation meant to protect minors from becoming objects of gambling will instead leave them exposed to betting on the black/grey market. We fear that this could have severe consequences for the upholding of integrity in sports,” Hoffstedt claimed.
Several other industry stakeholders, including former monopoly operator Svenska Spel, have also attacked the SGA’s proposals for potentially decreasing channelisation and increasing match-fixing.