Sweden has taken the decision to join the Macolin Convention, an action aimed at tackling the international threat of match-fixing in sports. This initiative represents a significant step in the fight against dishonest practices that affect sporting integrity.
Benefits of joining the Macolin Convention
Joining the convention will provide Sweden with greater access to cooperation and information exchange mechanisms, enabling a more effective joint effort to protect the integrity of sporting competitions.
The convention, which the Council of Europe adopted in 2014, stands out as the only international legal framework that specifically addresses the manipulation of sporting competitions. Thus, Sweden becomes the eighth country in the European Union to ratify this important agreement.
One of the central elements of the convention is the establishment of information sharing systems between interested parties. This will facilitate Swedish authorities‘ collaboration with international partners in identifying and preventing manipulation in sports competitions.
The information shared will be crucial to developing more effective and faster strategies to deal with this issue.
Importance of the decision
Minister for Social Affairs, Jakob Forssmed, commented on the decision, stating: “Match fixing is a serious and growing threat in sports, and is increasingly a transnational problem.”
“By joining the Macolin Convention now, Sweden gains full access to in-depth international cooperation and information exchange.” This step is seen as an important step forward in strengthening integrity in sport.
Furthermore, Minister for Financial Markets Niklas Wykman highlighted the need for order in the Swedish gaming segment, stating that: “Today’s decision means that we can continue to suppress crime and create security for those who gamble.”
Therefore, this approach reinforces Sweden’s position as a country committed to fairness in games and sports.
Camilla Rosenberg, Director General of the Swedish Gaming Authority, also expressed her support for the government’s decision. “The Swedish authority welcomes the government’s decision that Sweden must accede to the Macolin Convention and at the same time ratify the convention.”
“It deepens international cooperation and strengthens Sweden’s position in the important work against match-fixing,” he concluded.
