Suspected match-fixing cases fall in Sweden, regulator says
Suspected match-fixing in Swedish sport fell to its lowest level in years in 2025, according to new figures from the national gambling regulator, which says closer monitoring and new reporting duties for betting companies may be starting to have an effect.
The Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, reports that it received just two alerts about suspected match-fixing from international integrity bodies during the year, down from five in 2024 and twelve in 2023. While the authority welcomes the decline, it cautions that the absence of reports does not guarantee the absence of manipulation. A fall in detected cases may signal success, but it may also reflect changes in criminal tactics or gaps in surveillance.
The figures were published in a press release dated 15 January and form part of the regulator’s annual account of its work against corruption in sport. They come at a time when Sweden is grappling with broader questions about the credibility and reach of its regulated gambling market.
Reports drop as oversight expands
According to Spelinspektionen, “the number of suspected match-fixing cases decreased compared with previous years” during 2025. The authority says it “received two reports of suspected match-fixing from the integrity organisations that we cooperate with”, an encouraging decline from earlier years.
Since the summer of 2024, licensed betting operators have been legally obliged to report suspected match-fixing to Spelinspektionen “as soon as possible”. 2025 was the first full year in which this requirement was in force.
During the year, the authority says it “received four reports of suspected match-fixing from licence holders”, adding that “one concerned the same suspicion that was reported by one of the integrity organisations”.
In parallel with the reporting regime, Spelinspektionen says it stepped up its supervisory activity. “During 2025, Spelinspektionen carried out supervision at all actors with a betting licence to look at their routines for detecting and counteracting match-fixing,” the press release states.
That supervision focused on how companies monitor betting patterns, cooperate with sports bodies and escalate concerns to the authorities. The regulator has long argued that betting operators are a crucial early-warning system, given their access to real-time data on wagering behaviour.
That emphasis on systems is reflected in the government’s instructions for 2026. Under its appropriation letter, Spelinspektionen has been tasked with developing a formal risk analysis model to prioritise supervision, and must report on how the model will be used to decide which operators and activities are inspected.
Major tournaments under scrutiny
The authority also highlights its role in monitoring major sporting events. In 2025, it “participated in the monitoring of the women’s football European Championship in Switzerland”, working alongside other agencies and stakeholders.
According to the regulator, “the work focused on risk assessments as well as on preventing match-fixing and other forms of manipulation”. It adds that “no incidents linked to match-fixing were noted during the tournament”.
Spelinspektionen stresses that prevention is as important as detection. Its work includes information-sharing with sports federations, guidance to athletes and officials, and cooperation with law enforcement agencies, both in Sweden and abroad.
Cautious optimism from the regulator
Despite the downward trend in reported cases, the authority is careful not to overstate the significance of the figures. Samuel Wahlberg, Spelinspektionen’s match-fixing coordinator, says the results reflect a year in which systems have functioned as intended, but not one in which the risk has disappeared.
“The work against match-fixing has functioned well during the year and cooperation with crime-prevention authorities, the sports movement and the gambling industry within the match-fixing council has gone well,” Wahlberg says in the press release.
He adds: “We see positively on the downward trend, but the work continues to prevent and detect manipulation. Match-fixers’ methods can be advanced and we cannot be sure that all manipulation is detected.”
A fragile picture
While fewer suspected cases are being flagged, concerns remain about unlicensed betting, offshore operators and the limits of national enforcement. If betting activity migrates to unregulated platforms, the regulator’s visibility may diminish.
For now, the authority is presenting the 2025 figures as evidence that its tools are working, while insisting on vigilance. The combination of mandatory reporting, active supervision and event monitoring, it argues, has strengthened Sweden’s defences against manipulation in sport.
Whether the downward trend will continue remains an open question. As Wahlberg puts it, “we cannot be sure that all manipulation is detected”, a reminder that match-fixing, by its nature, thrives in the shadows.
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