Compliance Updates

Sweden’s Spelinspektionen to Ban Betting on Sporting Violations

Published

6 years ago

September 17, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling regulator, is going to implement a ban on betting on sporting violations, including yellow and red cards, free kicks and penalties in football from 1 January 2021.

The regulator will also ban betting on all but the top four divisions of football in Sweden (Allsvenskan, Superettan, Division 1 Norra and Södra) and the six regional Division 2 leagues as well as on under-21 internationals. Betting on the individual performance of players aged under 18 will also be banned in all sports played in Sweden.

“Football is a high-risk sport when it comes to match-fixing and there are special risks with low divisions. Surveillance is poorer and practitioners do not make money from their sport. The Swedish Gambling Authority has therefore chosen to place special emphasis on football and has taken into account views received from the consultative bodies,” Spelinspektionen said.

Gustaf Hoffstedt, secretary general of online gaming operators’ association Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (BOS), criticised the move as political, claiming it was designed to appease the National Athletics Association, Swedish Football Association and politicians rather than enforce regulatory good sense.

He said: “Spelinspektionen claims to have found a well-balanced point between different interests but there is no balanced point in this matter. Either you believe restrictions for licensed companies lead to reduced match-fixing [or not].

“In that case, I wonder why Spelinspektionen can be content with these relatively peripheral restrictions. In that case, the only responsibility would be to impose restrictions on almost everything if one is so convinced that they have a positive effect.

“The Swedish Gambling Authority is often blamed for a lot of things when in fact it is the government that is to be held accountable.

“This case is unique however in that it is the SGA itself that has chosen to impose the restrictions and this without any analysis of their effect. This, of course, damages SGA’s reputation.”

Compliance Updates

REEVO Obtains Certification in Portugal

Published

14 hours ago

March 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

REEVO, the fast-growing online game provider, announced that its portfolio of in-house games has officially been certified for the Portuguese market, marking another important milestone in the company’s ongoing expansion across Europe’s regulated iGaming sector.

With certification secured, REEVO games are now approved for licensed operators in Portugal, enabling the company to introduce its innovative slot titles and immersive gameplay experiences to players across the country.

Portugal represents one of Europe’s most respected regulated markets, and the certification underscores REEVO’s commitment to delivering high-quality, compliant gaming content that meets the strict requirements of regulated jurisdictions while maintaining the creativity and performance that define the REEVO brand.

Portuguese operators will now gain access to:

• REEVO’s premium portfolio of in-house slot games

• High-performance, mobile-first gameplay

• Innovative features designed to enhance player engagement

• Fully certified and regulator-approved content

“Achieving certification in Portugal is an exciting milestone for REEVO and an important step in our European growth strategy. We are thrilled to bring our in-house games to Portuguese operators and players, continuing our mission to deliver engaging, high-quality content across regulated markets,” said Karl Grech, Head of Business Development at REEVO.

The post REEVO Obtains Certification in Portugal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Compliance Updates

UKGC Appoints Sue Young as its Executive Director of Operations

Published

14 hours ago

March 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

ukgc-appoints-sue-young-as-its-executive-director-of-operations

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has appointed Sue Young as its new Executive Director of Operations.

Sue joins the Commission from HMRC where she was Director of Debt Management. She brings extensive leadership experience from across the public sector, including senior roles at the Home Office, including Border Force and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and the Department of Health and Social Care.

As Executive Director for Operations, Sue will lead a number of the Commission’s operational functions as the regulator continues its work to keep gambling safer, fairer and crime free.

Sarah Gardner, Acting Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Sue to the Gambling Commission. There is a great deal of important work underway across our operational teams, not least our continued focus on tackling the illegal market and delivering strong regulatory outcomes. Sue brings a wealth of operational leadership experience and I’m very much looking forward to working with her.”

Sue Young said: “I’m excited to be joining the Gambling Commission and to be learning about a new sector. The Commission plays an important role in protecting consumers and ensuring gambling is conducted fairly and safely. I’m looking forward to building on the significant work already underway across the organisation.”

The post UKGC Appoints Sue Young as its Executive Director of Operations appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alex Smith

Fanatics Betting and Gaming Appoints Alex Smith as its Chief Legal Officer

Published

14 hours ago

March 18, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

fanatics-betting-and-gaming-appoints-alex-smith-as-its-chief-legal-officer

Fanatics Betting and Gaming has announced the appointments of Alex Smith to the position of Chief Legal Officer and Sara Tait to Senior Vice President and Head of Legal and Regulated Industries.

Reporting to Fanatics Betting and Gaming CEO Matt King, Smith will be a member of the FBG executive team and lead legal, regulatory, compliance, and government affairs strategy for the company’s rapidly growing sports betting and iGaming division. Smith Joined FBG in 2021 as VP of Legal and Regulatory Compliance and spearheaded the fastest state by state roll out for Fanatics Sportsbook in the history of U.S. sports betting.

“Alex was one of our first hires and he helped build our legal and regulatory apparatus that has allowed us to launch products rapidly in legal sports betting, iCasino and prediction markets. As we continue to grow, Alex is the perfect person to lead our legal and regulatory functions into the future,” said Matt King, CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming.

Reporting to Alex Smith, Tait will have wide responsibilities spanning multiple strategic subject matters within FBG, specifically serving as legal counsel to the regulated gaming and markets products. She is responsible for developing and managing FBG’s relationships with federal and state regulators; contributing to government affairs efforts and strategic industry initiatives; furthering FBG’s consumer protection measures; and maintaining licenses and registrations with federal and state oversight bodies.

“Sara is a well-respected former gaming regulator who also has experience in the private sector, making her the ideal choice to lead critical legal and regulatory efforts. The legal and regulatory landscape for sports betting, iCasino and prediction markets are constantly changing and having someone that has been on both sides of the regulatory landscape will be invaluable to us as we continue our growth trajectory,” said Smith.

The post Fanatics Betting and Gaming Appoints Alex Smith as its Chief Legal Officer appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.