With tighter control measures implemented in numerous countries to combat problem gambling during lockdown periods, some have been more effective than others. So, what are the comparisons to be drawn between different markets across Europe and on a more global scale?

What is it?

Kindred Group guest stars on the All Bets Are Off Podcast to discuss why Sweden hasn’t met its benchmark for regulated gambling rates and what the firm can take from the UK market when navigating the third-largest country in the European Union.

Who is it?

Maris Catania, Global Head of Player Sustainability at Kindred Group

Neil Banbury, UK General Manager at Kindred Group

Kindred Group is an online gambling operator which offers casino, poker, bingo and sports betting products, comprising nine flagship brands, including 32Red and Unibet.

What is being said?

Explaining how Kindred has navigated the imposed restrictions introduced in Sweden after isolation periods were introduced, Banbury said: “The landscape in Sweden is obviously different from the UK but there is certainly lots we can learn. The government had an aim in Sweden to achieve a 90% channelisation rate, which essentially just means they want 90% of gambling activity to take place within the licensed environment.

“At the moment, evidence is suggesting that’s more like 80% for sports betting and even lower for casinos. Broadly speaking, there’s been restrictions that have come in over that period of time, and the numbers that we see come out now shows that the licensed online market is growing at very low, single-digit rates.”

A country that has undergone ‘progressive change’ over the course of recent years, he argued that operators should take a holistic approach in Sweden: “One of the things that we’re really arguing for in Sweden is that we want to make sure that there’s a real level playing field or at least an imbalance in the playing field in favour of those operators that are licensed. We’re pushing to make sure that suppliers of gambling products have to be licensed as well, and the same with affiliates etc.

“I think sometimes it’s unhelpful to just focus everything on the operator and the brands that are the end touchpoint for the customers when actually, it’s the ecosystem that you want to think about to have the maximum effect.”

Why should I watch it?

To understand why it is important for operators to protect customers, offering a regulated platform for a safe way to bet.

Where can I see more?

Source: All Bets Are Off on Spotify