Malta Gaming Authority Rolls Out Sports Integrity Unit For Keeping Integrity of Events and Competitions

The Malta Gaming Authority has presented its new branch that will be in charge of preventing sports events and competitions fraud – Sports Integrity Unit.

In “an effort to create focus and resources dedicated to this,” the Unit will be collecting information and intelligence related to suspicious betting. They will also work as a liaison with national and foreign regulatory authorities, betting monitoring systems, law enforcement agencies, sporting bodies and operators with whom they will investigate activity.

Committed to Cooperation

The Sports Integrity Unit will also work with the rest of MGA divisions…

…on implementing policy initiatives. They will also form cooperation agreements with bodies that are also determined to combat sport corruption and retain its integrity.

The leader of MGA’s new unit will be Antonio Zerafa – he is currently a senior executive in the regulatory body and will be sport unit’s new integrity officer. Having spent four years with MGA, he was appointed to positions within Criminal Probity Screening Department.

Authority’s chief, Heathcliff Farrugia, comments:

“Having a dedicated Sports Integrity Unit is vital for the MGA’s statutory objective to ensure that gambling is free from crime, specifically the manipulation of sports competitions. The MGA is committing to cooperation with stakeholders to the extent permitted by law to act against a pervasive phenomenon that threatens the integrity of both the sports and the betting industries.”

MGA has released new guidelines this week that concern advertising in gambling. They have also established a new committee to make sure operators and licensees are compliant with new rules.

These guidelines include a 30-point checklist for licensees that enforces responsible gambling techniques and requirements to be prominently featured.

Unified Self-Exclusion System

MGA has begun the preliminary consultation in order to collect opinions in regards to plans for launching the unified self-exclusion system in Malta.

The system was already proposed in May 2018 which would allow players to block access to licensed operators if they want to exclude themselves. Malta operators are required to offer gamblers that option when they are self-excluding.

When a player self-excludes him or herself from a certain website, the operator will that info to all other licensed operators in Malta and they can block the same person on their own sites.

Cooperation With the Swedes

MGA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen. This was done with the intention of enhancing cooperation between two bodies and working on mutual values.

Camilla Rosenberg of Spelinspektionen said:

“Many of the companies that have received a Swedish license also have technical equipment and a license in Malta. By opening the communication channels between the authorities we become stronger in our supervisory activities. This is the beginning of a broad and long-term cooperation, and our plan is to initiate corresponding collaborations with more gambling authorities in Europe.”

Source:

“Malta regulator establishes new Sports Integrity Unit”, igamingbusiness.com, August 29, 2019.