- Directors' Report
- CEO's commentary
- Four questions for the Chairman
- This is Svenska Spel
- The Swedish gaming market
- Svenska Spel's operations and structure
- Strategic orientation and objectives
- Risks and risk management
- Brand management
- Svenska Spel's games
- Group financial results and position
- Svenska Spel's business areas
- Corporate Governance Report
- Board of Directors
- Executive management
- Proposed distribution of profits
- Events after balance sheet date
Oddset turned 25
In the mid-1980s, gaming companies in France and the US introduced new online technology (direct links between retailer terminals and the gaming company’s central computer) at retailers. In particular, the technology was ideal for random number games such as Lotto; in Sweden, however, bookmaking paved the way for its application.
1986
Oddset – which was launched with the Lången, Matchen and Toppen gaming forms – was introduced on 27 October 1986. This was the world’s first online bookmaking and it also attracted considerable international interest. This was arranged with the approval of the Government during a trial period of 15 months. Initially, the online terminals were placed with 340 major retailers in the Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö regions. Age limit of 18 applied to Oddset from the start.
1988
Oddset was an immediate success and its popularity grew. Hitherto, sports games had been limited to the football pools and ATG’s horse racing. Oddset offered players a broader range of sports. The only exception to the sports offering was the introduction of the European Song Contest as a gaming object on the Toppen game form.
1992
The online technology spread to an increasing number of retailers nationwide and the now permanent Oddset gained rapidly in popularity.
1998
Oddset sales exceeded those of the Stryktipset football pools, hereby becoming Svenska Spel’s largest sports game. By this stage, the Swedish Oddset-model was being used in 12 other countries.
1999
Foreign-based Internet companies entered the Swedish gaming market as competitors to Oddset.
2000
Svenska Spel’s proprietary gaming site, svenskaspel.se, was ready for launching gaming on Lången.
2001
The Oddset family was extended with the addition of the Bomben gaming form at retailers and on svenskaspel.se.
2003
Oddset attained its highest net gaming revenue to date, reaching some SEK 700 million.
2004
The Mixen gaming form was first introduced on svenskaspel.se in 2002, and at retailers in 2004.
2006
Oddset’s 20th anniversary in 2006 coincided with the first opportunity for players to place stakes on three ice-hockey matches on the Bomben game form.
2007
Oddset Live was launched.
2009
Oddset Powerplay was introduced.
2011
The Oddset success story continues to show its strength after 25 years, despite growing competition arising from new sales channels created by new technology. At retailers, ATG’s horseracing and Svenska Spel’s sports gaming continue to jostle for gaming space, but the major growth has been on the Internet. Mobile phone-based gaming is the new distribution channel in the wake of the Internet. 2011 saw all-time high odds of 2,660,634 on Bomben.A few lucky players shared the winnings, which amounted to a similar total in SEK.