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In Malta, the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) regulator has signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Sports Security Association (ESSA) monitoring group to help protect and maintain the integrity of sports and sportsbetting.

Brussels-based ESSA is an industry body committed to legal and responsible sportsbetting and works to keep wagering free from insider betting or bet rigging and manipulation.

The LGA stated that its memorandum of understanding will see it cooperate with the ESSA in order to ‘avoid the manipulation of sports events and competitions’ by assisting the group with its reporting relationships in collaboration with its licensed operators.

Gayle Kimberley, European Union and International Affairs Legal Manager for the LGA, declared that the agreement with the ESSA is ‘one of a series of agreements’ covering sports integrity that the regulator has plans to enter as it regards this subject as ‘important’ and ‘high priority’.

“Kimberley believes such collaboration initiatives will demonstrate that match-fixing through sportsbetting does not find fertile ground in thoroughly regulated jurisdictions such as Malta’s,” read a statement from the LGA.

Established by some of the world’s leading online sportsbooks in 2005, the ESSA has agreements in place with the International Football Federation, the Union of European Football Associations, the European Professional Football Leagues, the Football Association, the German Football League, the Association of Tennis Professionals, the International Tennis Federation and the Women’s Tennis Association alongside close relations with the International Olympic Committee and many other global sports regulators. The group aims to be an early-warning system by providing regulators with information regarding unusual betting patterns or irregularities.

“It’s in all our interests to defeat betting-related match-fixing,” Said Khalid Ali, Secretary General for the ESSA.

“By signing a memorandum of understanding with the LGA in Malta we have a direct link with the regulator to report any suspicious betting patterns thereby developing a robust ecosystem to protect the interests of consumers, sport and the betting operators.”

Source: www.igamingbusiness.com