For more than a decade, Swedish gambling regulator Svenska Spel and the Swedish Sports Federation (SSF) have worked side by side to develop collaborative projects to advance the nation’s sports interests. At the same time, they have pooled their talents and expertise to help combat match-fixing and take sports transparency to a new level. While the current situation caused by the coronavirus has brought sports activity around the world to a halt, sports organizations find themselves in a situation that doesn’t favor their bottom lines. Fortunately for the SSF and its long-standing relationship with Svenska Spel, it now has a little relief. The two partners have signed an extension of their existing agreement, providing a much-needed injection of funds to the sports organization.
The agreement, which becomes effective as of June 1, will find Svenska Spel providing about 17 million Swedish krona, or about $1.717 million, to the group. It will remain in force until the end of the year, at which time it could be renewed if the current drama caused by COVID-19 has been brought under control. The money received by the SSF will help keep the organization afloat as it keeps its head above water due to the pandemic.
The president and CEO of Svenska Spel, Patrick Hofbauer, says of the renewed partnership, “When the Swedish sports movement has been hit hard by the corona pandemic, it feels good that Svenska Spel and the Swedish Sports Federation extend their cooperation. In this way we secure important funds for Swedish sport. At the same time, work is underway on a more long-term plan for how we together can continue to strengthen the sports movement.”
Several initiatives have been launched through the partnership over the years, including sponsorship arrangements, collaboration to identify and stop match-fixing, a “Forward for more in motion” program and digital education programs for different sports associations and their members in the country. Stefan Bergh, the secretary-general for the SSF, asserts, “The cooperation with Svenska Spel and the financial support for the sport enables efforts to reach more, support elite activists who study, counter match-fixing and provide the conditions for associations and unions to continue to develop their activities in line with Strategy 2025.”
The Forward for more in motion program is a way for Svenska Spel and the SSF to campaign for more sports involvement in Sweden. The target is to raise awareness of, and interest in, sports, while, at the same time increasing opportunities for youth and children in sports through the use of a Forward Fund that is used to invest in sports projects and sports scholarships.
Hofbauer adds, “Through Forward for more in motion, we have put over 200,000 Swedes in motion in recent years. This is something we are very proud of and by extending the agreement, we can now facilitate for more Swedes to move in.”
