The Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) has reported a continued decline in suspected match-fixing cases across the regulated betting market.
The Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) has reported a continued decline in suspected match-fixing cases, highlighting a notable shift in integrity indicators across the regulated betting market.
In a report from this week, the SGA released data for 2025 showing that it received only two reports of suspected match-fixing from integrity organisations it cooperates with, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and the United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS).
This represents a decrease from five reports in 2024 and 12 in 2023, reinforcing a downward trend observed over the past two years.
Regulatory changes introduced in mid-2024 expanded reporting obligations to licensed gambling operators.
Since then, licensees have been required to notify the Authority as soon as suspicions arise. In 2025, four reports were submitted directly by licensees, although one overlapped with a case already reported by an integrity organisation.
As the reporting duty for operators is relatively new, comparative data from earlier years is not yet available, limiting the ability to assess long-term trends from this source.
Even so, the additional reporting channel is viewed as an important enhancement to the Authority’s oversight framework.
Last year, the regulator also completed inspections of all licensed betting operators, focusing on internal procedures for detecting and counteracting match-fixing.
These inspections assessed monitoring systems, escalation protocols, and cooperation with integrity bodies.
International cooperation helps fuel better results
Alongside domestic supervision, the Authority participated in integrity coverage during the Women’s European Football Championship held in Switzerland.
That work centred on risk assessments, betting pattern analysis, and preventive measures aimed at identifying manipulation attempts before they could affect sporting outcomes. No match-fixing incidents were identified in connection with the tournament.
Strategic coordination remains a core component of Sweden’s approach.
A dedicated council against match-fixing, led by the SGA, brings together the Police Authority, the Swedish Prosecution Authority, representatives of the Swedish Sports Confederation, and stakeholders from the gambling industry.
The council functions as a forum for information sharing, joint risk assessments, and alignment between regulatory, law enforcement, and sports governance efforts, with the aim of strengthening both preventive and investigative capacity.
Despite the positive indicators, the regulator has acknowledged the inherent challenges involved in measuring success.
The Authority has stated that match-fixing methods continue to evolve and can be highly sophisticated, meaning not all manipulations are guaranteed to be detected.
While officials have expressed cautious optimism about the declining number of reports, they have emphasised that ongoing vigilance remains necessary.
The Authority indicated that prevention, detection, and cross-sector cooperation will continue to be prioritised as betting markets and manipulation tactics develop further.