SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has established a new ‘Sports Integrity Unit’ helping strengthen its capacity and resources towards fighting sports corruption and match-fixing.
The Integrity Unit will focus on gathering intelligence and data related to suspicious betting, serving as the MGS’ liaison foreign regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies, wagering monitoring systems and sports governing bodies combatting the manipulation of sports.
In addition, the Integrity Unit will further assist MGA departments and stakeholder in the development of policy initiatives, improving the regulator’s all-around sports integrity monitoring and governance frameworks.
The MGA’s new unit will be led by Senior Executive Antonio Zerafa serving as ‘Sports Integrity Officer’, who has formerly led the Authority’s ‘criminal probity screening’ programme, with the MGA’s Enforcement Directorate.
Updating stakeholders, Heathcliff Farrugia Chief Executive of the MGA stated: “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.”
The MGA informs the public that any matters/queries related to sports integrity or suspicious betting are to be forwarded via email to [email protected]. The MGA treats all cases in strict confidence as per article 8 of the Gaming Act (Chapter 583 of the Laws of Malta).
