During the Swedish political week in Almedalen, Kindred Group and treatment center Spelfriheten co-hosted a roundtable discussion on responsible gambling. The aim was to spur dialogue and further collaboration among the many stakeholders concerned with improving the Swedish gambling market.
We had a fruitful discussion, and many novel and promising ideas were raised. As an operator, our first responsibility is always to protect our customers. But to further improve player safety in the Swedish license market, we also want to facilitate more stakeholder collaboration, something we believe has great potential, says Pär Nygårds, Head of Corporate Affairs, Kindred Group.
A short note on Almedalen
Kindred Group has a long-standing history of participating in the political week in Almedalen, the biggest political event in Sweden. It's a place where we and others highlighted the need for a re-regulation long before it came true in 2019.
So being in Almedalen matters. Sometimes to propose ideas, but also to learn, listen, be inspired, and inspire others. This year, our main focus was to promote increased stakeholder collaboration in the Swedish license market.
Kindred Group's roundtable discussion
In the round table discussion, moderated by Alexander Westrell, Director of Communications at Kindred Group, a wide variety of stakeholders, ranging from operators, treatment centers, payment providers, media and sports representatives to politicians, participated. The participants discussed various topics (marketing, gambling and sports, re-regulation learnings) in smaller groups before a joint discussion was held in the full group.
– I am satisfied with today's roundtable discussion. When we meet and discuss these issues, we can make a difference. We must greatly respect harmful gambling but not be afraid to address problems. I feel confident that we are doing that together with Unibet and Spelfriheten, said Johan Lindvall, secretary general of the Swedish Professional Football Leagues (SEF), after the event.
Something that was echoed by the event's co-host Spelfriheten:
– A lot of good ideas came up; it's something we will be able to work on in the future. It became so clear that we need to work together to make a difference, said Adam Reuterswärd, market and client coordinator, Spelfriheten.
The ideas and suggestions raised during the roundtable will be followed up at a Stockholm workshop held in September.
