The Malta Gaming Authority says a low number of suspicious betting reports does not by itself show weak monitoring. Its new thematic review found that some licensees reduced exposure through conservative market offerings, restrictive limits and the removal of events considered vulnerable to manipulation.
The regulator focused on authorized businesses that had submitted few or no suspicious betting reports since reporting requirements took effect. Supervisory meetings and document reviews examined monitoring systems, internal escalation, reporting arrangements and controls intended to protect sports integrity.
Good practices included real-time monitoring, cooperation among trading, risk and compliance teams, and safeguards designed to prevent athletes or other sports personnel from betting where participation is prohibited. A detailed review of the findings says some businesses also relied heavily on external integrity-monitoring feeds.
The MGA identified gaps in written escalation procedures, staff responsibilities and human oversight of automated systems. It wants reporting roles documented clearly and licensees to understand that suspicious activity involving players under a Malta licence may need to be reported even when the same pattern appears in another jurisdiction. The authority will use the findings in ongoing supervision and future guidance.
