Unibet and Swedish Elite Football strengthen partnership to enhance safer gambling
Kindred brand will educate 1000 players and coaches as part of the sponsorship agreement with Swedish Elite Football
Kindred Group’s Unibet will collaborate with Swedish Elite Football (SEF) and the 32 male elite football clubs of Allsvenskan and Superettan leagues for online training in order to educate and inform both players and coaches about safer gambling and player responsibility.
The online training will begin after the current season has ended under the supervision of integrity officers of each club.
The online training follows on from the match-fixing course that was conducted earlier this year. The initiative complements SEF’s existing partnership with Kindred formed last year in an effort to combat match-fixing and problem gambling.
Started in January 2020, every professional club was appointed with an integrity officer who received dedicated training and made the person to reach out if players and coaches have any questions about games, gambling and match-fixing.
The training programme is based on the match-fixing regulations outlined by the Swedish Sports Federation (Riksidrottsförbundet), as well as the gambling fraud statute that introduced a new gambling law that prohibits match-fixing from the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen).
The work with player responsibility and safer gambling is a major part of Kindred’s sustainability strategy and is a key element of their partnership with SEF that started on 1 January 2020.
Philip Lagström, country manager Unibet Sweden, said: “During our partnership with Swedish Elite Football (SEF), we have made several efforts to fight match-fixing and harmful gambling. This training is only one example of the work we do with SEF and we will continue our great efforts throughout the contract period.”
“For us, it is very important to share and contribute our knowledge through this sponsorship. Unibet wants a sustainable gambling industry and our ambition is to reach zero per cent revenue derived from harmful gambling by 2023”, Lagström added.
Anders Wikström, league integrity officer at SEF, said: “For some individuals, in society as well as within the athletic environment, gambling can, unfortunately, become a problem. Together with our partner Unibet, we want to take responsibility and offer an additional responsible gambling tool through this training.”
Wikström further stated: “The online training contains a self-assessment where by answering certain questions, you get insight into your current gambling behaviour. Something that we see as a very important measure. The training also contains contact information for those who feel that they might be in a harmful situation, which provides us with reassurance.”