On 27 October 2026 the Malta Gaming Authority published the findings of a Thematic Review into how Authorised Persons identify, assess and escalate potential sports betting integrity concerns. The review targeted a specific group: licensees that had submitted few or no Suspicious Betting Reports since the relevant reporting requirements were introduced.
The MGA said the exercise was carried out under its risk-based supervisory approach.
Through Supervisory Meetings and Reviews, the regulator examined licensees' monitoring systems, internal escalation procedures, reporting arrangements and safeguards.
According to the MGA, low reporting volumes were not necessarily a sign of inadequate monitoring. In several cases, the authority said, they reflected proactive risk management. It gave two examples: restrictive betting limits and the removal of events considered particularly vulnerable to manipulation.
The MGA did not say how many.
Good practices the MGA identified included real-time monitoring systems and effective collaboration between risk and compliance teams, as well as safeguards that prevent athletes and sports personnel from engaging in prohibited betting activity. On the improvement side, the regulator pointed to clearly documented internal escalation procedures and reporting responsibilities, stronger monitoring with appropriate human oversight, and a consistent understanding of reporting obligations.
The MGA said it will continue to monitor progress through ongoing supervisory work and will take the findings into account when developing future guidance and supervisory priorities.
Several details are missing from the announcement. It does not state how many Authorised Persons were reviewed, names no operators, gives no count of Suspicious Betting Reports and mentions no penalties. We have not seen the full thematic review document, so none of these details have been checked. A breakdown in that document by number of licensees and report volume would show whether the proactive risk management explanation covered most of the low reporters or only a handful.
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