BOS on Sweden’s signing of the Macolin Convention: Welcome, but unreasonable to only include state gambling companies in the work against match-fixing

In a memorandum from the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Swedish Government has proposed that Sweden sign and ratify the so-called Macolin Convention. This convention regulates the cooperation of the member states of the Council of Europe in the work against match-fixing.

The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) welcomes such a signing and at the same time wants to point out that private and listed gambling companies must also have access to the bodies within the Council of Europe that are responsible for the issue, the so-called Group of Copenhagen and above all its Follow-up Committee.

Today, only full access is given to state betting companies, despite the majority of the Swedish, European and global sports betting market taking place with private or listed betting companies. Excluding the latter means a serious setback in the joint work against match-fixing.

“We welcome Sweden’s signing of the Macolin Convention. At the same time, it must be emphasized that it is outdated and unjustifiable to exclude licensed privately owned and listed gambling companies from the joint work against match-fixing. We urge Sweden to push for a change, so that all licensed gambling companies get full access to all the Council of Europe’s bodies on the matter, not just the state-owned gambling companies,” says Gustaf Hoffstedt, Secretary General, The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling.