Gambling regulator eyes Malta's athletes following betting concerns
MGA to review all Malta-based athletes for suspicious betting patterns
Malta’s gambling regulator is set to undertake a review of Malta-based athletes after receiving reports of suspicious betting.
In a publication outlining its areas of focus for this year, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) said it would carry out a “data-driven review... to assess gambling-related risks among locally registered athletes”.
The MGA said the planned review built on insights gleaned from “suspicious betting reports and previous supervisory engagements”.
Malta’s water polo scene was rocked in January after it emerged that several national team players were being investigated for allegedly betting on matches at the European Championships.
The Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport (AIMS) has since instructed the Aquatic Sports Association to preserve all records related to the case and recommended disciplinary action against players allegedly involved.
And earlier this month, the police opened an investigation into allegations of possible match manipulation during the recent Malta Premier League clash between Mosta FC and Naxxar Lions.
Times of Malta understands the regulator’s regulatory priorities were decided on before the recent allegations surfaced.
The MGA also suggested that some sportspersons might be struggling with gambling addiction. It said it “recognises the emerging risks linked to athletes placing wagers on their own sport, particularly among individuals who are vulnerable to or currently experiencing problem gambling”.
Our efforts are aimed at raising awareness and reinforcing best practice in sports betting integrity- MGA
A review is also set to take place of the safeguards betting operators have in place to prevent sports figures betting on their own sport, the authority said.
“Our efforts are aimed at raising awareness and reinforcing best practice in sports betting integrity.”
The plans emerged in a document outlining the authority’s areas of focus, or ‘supervisory engagement efforts’, for the online gaming sector this year.
Another area of interest for the MGA is the esports sector –the competitive multiplayer computer or console game tournaments – a growing industry worldwide.
An assessment of risks to esport tournaments’ “fairness and credibility” is set to take place, “with specific attention to prevention frameworks, monitoring systems and incident reporting channels”.
The authority also intends on reviewing betting operators’ internal controls on crypto-payments, which the MGA warned were “characterised by significant elements of anonymity and transferability, thereby presenting heightened risks”.
The nature of crypto-assets allows for “rapid” and “opaque” movement of funds, complicating efforts to identify those behind the transactions and the flow of money, the authority said.