On 25 May 2021, Spelinspektionen received a tip regarding Betsson allegedly offering bets related to rule violations in a football match between Malmö FF and Elfsborg in Sweden’s Allsvenskan league.
In 2020, a set of regulations was introduced in Sweden to combat match-fixing, and under these regulations, Swedish operators are prohibited from offering bets on any rule violations, including yellow cards or penalties in football.
Betsson acknowledged offering bets related to rule violations, but argued that they were only part of a combination bet created by a third-party supplier. The company claimed that offering these bets alongside legal markets made them less susceptible to match-fixing.
However, Spelinspektionen emphasized that the markets offered by Betsson were clearly against its match-fixing rules. Despite the low levels of turnover and the fact that the bets were voided, Spelinspektionen considered Betsson’s failure to acknowledge the breach as an aggravating factor.
Nevertheless, Spelinspektionen chose to issue only a warning to Betsson, taking into account the mitigating factors of low turnover, voided bets, and Betsson’s actions to prevent such incidents in the future.
It is worth noting that Betsson had previously been penalized by Spelinspektionen in 2020 for alleged violations related to the sale of vouchers. However, an appeals court dismissed the fine, determining that the sale of vouchers did not constitute the sale of gambling products or the mediation of winnings.
Spelinspektionen announced that it would not appeal the court’s decision at a higher level.
