SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
In a bid to prevent match-fixing and corruption within football, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has teamed up with the Malta Football Association to share data and information on suspicious betting activities.
The partnership, which came into effect on 5 December, will ensure that both parties will have access to all necessary data to carry out their regulatory obligations.
MGA chief executive Heathcliff Farrugia commented: “This data sharing agreement follows a number of Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) signed by the MGA with other regulatory bodies throughout 2019, and also ties in perfectly with MGA’s recent establishment of a dedicated Sports Integrity Unit.
“The Authority is committed to ensure that this agreement is not limited to data sharing, but also sharing of ideas and best practices for the benefit of both entities.”
Both parties will work together to identify and prevent any instances of corruption within the sport, promising that areas of mutual regulatory interest will be thoroughly and promptly investigated.
“The Malta FA was the catalyst behind the Anti-Corruption Task Force in 2015 which eventually led to the introduction of the Prevention of Corruption in Sport Bill and the formation of a national Sports Integrity Unit,” added Malta FA president Bjorn Vassallo.
“This data sharing agreement represents another important step to further strengthen the Malta FA’s efforts to tackle match-fixing within its regulatory limits at sporting level. It enables the MGA and the Malta FA to share not only crucial data but also expertise.”
