Part 3: The position of the monopolies
We are dividing the
business so that the fully
competitive part is clearly
distinguished from the
part that will continue to
have exclusive rights on
certain forms of gambling
Lennart Käll,
former Svenska Spel CEO
sponsor the sports movement.
However, the question of the sports
movement’s ability to take part
in winnings from sports is more
complex.”
The report said it would look
into whether the financing model
for horseracing (see below) “can
be introduced” for other sports. It
added the following:
• If such a model can be
introduced, (the investigator
should) make suggestions for
changes;
• It would consider and explain
alternative ways of sport to
receive income from sports
games; and
• It would make an international
outline and report any
experiences from other countries.
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Ardalan Shekarabi, the minister in
charge of gambling, was quoted as
having said that the “broad reform”
currently being implemented and
some other issues “need to be
further reviewed”. “How Svenska
Spel adapts to the new market
situation and the long-term funding
of the horse race industry are two
of them.”
Division of labour
The June report made the point
that though Svenska Spel would be
required to restructure for the new
regulated regime, this restructuring
would be the responsibility of the
company itself and was “not an
ownership issue”.
“However, how the company
acts can affect the outcome of
the reform,” the report’s authors
wrote. “Svenska Spel shall further
conduct its activities in such a
way that it does not contravene
the competition law. This means
that there must be no unlawful
cross-subsidisation between
the exclusive activities and the
competitive activities… In this
context, the investigator should
analyse how Svenska Spel
structured its activities in response
to the reform and consider
whether additional measures are
required to meet the requirements
of the new regulation.”
This arrangement bears some
comparison with the situation
in Denmark where the former
monopoly – and continuing lottery
operator – Danske Spil has a
Sweden: The transition to regulation in one of Europe’s most advanced digital markets