Sweden vs Ukraine will be played on neutral ground in Valencia, Spain. The winner will play a decisive match against Poland or Albania for a World Cup spot.
When the Swedish national football team aims to strike gold this summer, as it did at the 1994 World Cup in the USA, the same can be said for the betting companies.
"Regardless of whether Sweden is involved or not, it is fantastic for us, we will definitely see an increase in sales," says Mårten Forste, business area manager for Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, to TT.
Four years
Mårten Forste cannot say how much this is in kronor and öre, but he can in percentage terms.
"We estimate we will see increased sales of up to 40 percent, and perhaps another 5–10 percentage points if Sweden is included, compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar," he says.
During the last quarter of 2022, when the World Cup was last held, Svenska Spel reported revenue of SEK 2.2 billion. At that time, the company's management noted that customer interest was dampened by the absence of Sweden and the fact that the tournament was played in late autumn.
However, it is not just Sweden qualifying for the World Cup that would point to a significant increase in revenue for companies like Svenska Spel.
The World Cup has now been expanded from 32 to 48 teams, which means 104 matches compared to the previous 64.
"At the same time, interest in football remains strong and is constantly increasing. The World Cup is also running for a week longer. That will result in increased customer activity," says Mårten Forste.
Negative factor
A potential negative factor could be the time difference with the host countries the USA, Mexico and Canada. If Sweden goes to the World Cup, for example, it means the opening match against Tunisia at 4:00 a.m. This could affect the important live betting - bets during the match - which have become increasingly important for the betting companies. He estimates the split is now approximately 60/40 between bets placed before the match and bets placed during it.
"The World Cup is as 'premium' as a football event can get, so we should have a good live offer for every match," he says.
As a gaming company, you probably want to see as many upsets as possible?
"It's clear: if we go through a World Cup with only favourites winning, all bookmakers will find it a bit of a struggle. You want a good mix; favourites winning for the big teams will generate a lot of interest, mixed in with some unexpected results," he says.
