Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s Gambling Inspectorate, has strengthened its commitment to global sports integrity by becoming an associate member of the United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS).
ULIS, formed by a syndicate of state lotteries, has built a network of members and stakeholders to protect sports from corruption, particularly the manipulation of sports competitions.
Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, ULIS works with international partners to detect suspicious betting activities and warn relevant bodies about potential match-fixing and corruption threats.
Spelinspektionen has joined ULIS as the regulatory body overseeing all forms of gambling and betting in Sweden.
The Inspectorate is dedicated to maintaining sports integrity as required by Article 13 of the Macolin Convention. This highlights the importance of national and international cooperation in combating sports competition manipulation.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Swedish Gambling Authority into our integrity network,” said ULIS General Secretary Luca Esposito.
“This collaboration strengthens both organisations’ commitment to upholding sports integrity. International cooperation is crucial, given the complex challenges we face in fighting competition manipulation.”
In the coming months, Spelinspektionen will launch a new cooperative framework to combat match-fixing and corruption in Sweden.
The Riksdag approved the “Measures Against Match-Fixing and Unlicensed Gambling Operations” in 2023. Swedish gambling and sporting bodies will adopt these measures, applying new controls and responsibilities to report and share data on threats related to match-fixing and sports integrity.
The mandate calls for all relevant stakeholders in Swedish sports and gambling to share data and information via a cooperative platform, with a required duty to flag any suspected match-fixing events with Spelinspektionen and Swedish authorities.
“The partnership with ULIS aligns perfectly with our mission to ensure a clean and fair gambling environment,” stated Camilla Rosenberg, Director General of Spelinspektionen.
“By joining forces with ULIS, we are boosting our capabilities to monitor and tackle competition manipulation issues both within our country and beyond its borders.”