In a memorandum from the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Swedish Government has proposed that Sweden sign and ratify the so-called Macolin Convention. This convention regulates the cooperation of the member states of the Council of Europe in the work against match-fixing.

The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) welcomes such a signing and at the same time wants to point out that private and listed gambling companies must also have access to the bodies within the Council of Europe that are responsible for the issue, the so-called Group of Copenhagen and above all its Follow-up Committee.

Today, only full access is given to state betting companies, despite the majority of the Swedish, European and global sports betting market taking place with private or listed betting companies. Excluding the latter means a serious setback in the joint work against match-fixing.

“We welcome Sweden’s signing of the Macolin Convention. At the same time, it must be emphasized that it is outdated and unjustifiable to exclude licensed privately owned and listed gambling companies from the joint work against match-fixing. We urge Sweden to push for a change, so that all licensed gambling companies get full access to all the Council of Europe’s bodies on the matter, not just the state-owned gambling companies,” says Gustaf Hoffstedt, Secretary General, The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling.

Kiron Interactive has further established its position as a trusted partner and leading provider following the award of an ISO IEC 27001 certification. This prestigious international standard recognises organisations that implement robust information security management systems (ISMS).

Key to going live in multiple global jurisdictions internationally, Kiron’s internal processes were rigorously tested against the standard’s strict assessment criteria to receive its certification, ensuring it met the 100-plus stringent conditions over an extensive consultation period.

The award reflects Kiron’s comprehensive approach to data security, which sees it regularly assess potential threats and vulnerabilities to identify and address security risks.

Strict policies and procedures are in place to ensure that only authorised individuals have access to sensitive data, which is encrypted both at rest and in transit to protect against unauthorised access.

Kiron systems are officially recognised to be continuously monitored to detect and respond to security incidents, with well-defined plans in place to address any issues and minimise impact.

Steven Spartinos, Co-CEO at Kiron, said: “Data security is a top priority for us, and this certification validates our commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for our customers.

“It demonstrates our commitment to industry best practices and providing our customers with the highest level of data protection.

“We have always handled our partners’ data with the utmost care but we now have certification that sensitive data is stringently safeguarded by us, to the same high standards as the products we provide them with.”

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) have formalised their cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a significant step in their collaborative efforts to regulate the gaming sector.

The agreement focuses on enhancing the exchange of information and intelligence between the two regulators to better safeguard consumers, prevent criminal activity, and protect vulnerable players from gambling-related harm.

Both authorities recognise the increasingly global nature of the industry, and therefore the critical importance of cross-collaboration. By sharing best practices through the MoU, the MGA and the UKGC aim to strengthen their respective regulatory frameworks and address common challenges more efficiently.

Commenting on the MoU, UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes remarked: “We welcome this agreement as a sign of our continued collaboration between the MGA and the UKGC. We’ve been working closely for some time now, and following our successful visit this summer, it is only fitting that we formalise our working relationship.”

MGA CEO Charles Mizzi emphasised that: “Our longstanding informal collaboration with the UKGC has already delivered meaningful outcomes, and the formalisation of this cooperation is definitely a step in the right direction. In line with our regulatory objectives, we are confident that such collaboration will allow us to address common challenges more effectively, allowing us to continuously improve on the effectiveness of our processes and framework.”

Andrew Rhodes further added: “We are keen to continue strengthening our efforts to raise standards across the industry, tackling common challenges such as illegal gambling, while also exploring future collaboration, including initiatives like shadowing and addressing key issues in areas like AML and sports betting integrity.”