The Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, has released its 2025 integrity report, signalling a positive trend in the fight against sports manipulation.
The regulator confirmed a significant decline in the number of match-fixing alerts received throughout the year, suggesting that collaborative efforts between the state, the sports movement, and the betting industry are yielding tangible results.
Sharp Decline in Integrity Alerts
According to the data, Spelinspektionen received only two reports of suspicious betting activity from international integrity organisations in 2025. This marks a continued downward trajectory, dropping from five alerts in 2024 and twelve in 2023. Additionally, the regulator received four reports directly from licensees. This was the inaugural year for the mandatory reporting requirement, obliging licensed operators to flag any suspicious patterns directly to the Authority.
Samuel Wahlberg, the co-ordinator against match-fixing at the Swedish Gambling Authority, expressed satisfaction with the efficacy of the current frameworks. “The work against match-fixing has worked well during the year and the collaboration with crime prevention authorities, the sports movement and the gambling industry within the match-fixing council has gone well,” Wahlberg stated.
Evolving Threats Require Continued Vigilance
However, the regulator remains vigilant, refusing to view the low numbers as a sign of total victory. The nature of sports manipulation is evolving, often becoming more sophisticated to evade detection algorithms and monitoring systems. While the volume of reports has decreased, the complexity of the threat remains.
“We view the downward trend positively, but the work continues to prevent and detect manipulations,” Wahlberg cautioned. “Match-fixers’ methods can be advanced and we cannot be sure that all manipulations will be detected.”
The introduction of licensee reporting requirements aims to close the gap between detection and action. By mandating that operators share real-time data on irregular betting flows, Spelinspektionen hopes to maintain this positive momentum. The Authority plans to continue its close cooperation with the national match-fixing council to ensure that the integrity of Swedish sports remains uncompromised in the face of these advanced threats.
