Malta steps up sports integrity drive as betting risks evolve
Malta’s sports integrity authority is sharpening its focus on education, reporting duties and cross-border cooperation as betting-related risks evolve, from traditional match-fixing to the fast-growing world of esports.
In an interview with SiGMA, Kevin Azzopardi, CEO of the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport (AIMS), said the unregulated betting market remained the most acute concern, even as regulated operators and regulators expand monitoring and information-sharing.
‘Collaboration is key’
Azzopardi said tackling sports manipulation could not be done by AIMS alone, pointing to established links with both the police and the gaming regulator.
“Undoubtedly, collaboration is key. We cannot just do this alone as an authority,” he said. “We work in close collaboration with the police force, who have dedicated officers who are in charge of such matters related to sport.”
He also highlighted an information-sharing agreement with the MGA, arguing that Malta’s betting and gaming regulator plays a role not just domestically but in spotting signals beyond the island. “The Malta Gaming Authority was highlighted as a key partner in identifying certain adverse patterns in international sports,” he explained.
Legal duty to report
Azzopardi used the interview to underline what he framed as a clear deterrent embedded in Maltese law: an obligation to report approaches to fix matches.
“If people are approached to throw or manipulate a match, their duty is to report it,” he said. “Refusing alone is not enough. You have a duty to report, and there is a maximum of 14 days to notify the police about the matter.”
Azzopardi warned that silence could carry criminal consequences. “If not, and the person is eventually found guilty of being aware of, or having been approached about, the matter but failing to report it, that person may face consequences, up to a maximum of one year’s imprisonment,” he said.
The emphasis on reporting timelines mirrors the compliance demands placed on operators in the regulated betting sector. MGA guidance to licensees states that reports must be filed “before the expiration of 3 days from the date on which the licensee first becomes aware of the irregular activity.”
Education first, new premises and esports reality
Azzopardi described education as the “integral part” of AIMS’ strategy, leaning on a familiar public health logic and the idea that prevention is better than cure.
“Education forms an integral part of the work we do, as we firmly believe in the mantra that prevention is better than cure,” he said.
He explained that AIMS runs free sessions for stakeholders across the sporting ecosystem. “We have an open invitation. It’s absolutely free of charge,” he said. “We have sessions that are organised at the venues, at the facilities of the sports organisations themselves.”
Azzopardi said esports was now “a reality” and that AIMS was working with stakeholders to make sure players understood the integrity risks. “Esports is a reality,” he said. “While some may not consider it a sport, it truly is, and in Malta, it enjoys a very large following.”
He said AIMS was engaging with “key stakeholders” to ensure esports athletes are “well-informed and well-educated about what is allowed and what is not,” and acknowledged the rapid pace of change in betting products. “Betting mechanisms have evolved as well,” he said. “We also have to try to stay one step ahead.”
In a sector where betting activity can spread across borders in seconds, both AIMS and the MGA are effectively working with one eye on domestic sport and another on international patterns, a balancing act Azzopardi suggested depends on partners telling the same story.
“As long as we convey the same message, I think that’s very positive,” he said, describing education as “key” and emphasising that the priority is “not to tarnish in any way the integrity or reputation of the sport.”
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