The Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) has entered into a collaborative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FIFA’s in-house agency on sport integrity, the FIFA Early Warning System GmbH (EWS), in the interests of protecting and maintaining the integrity of football and sports betting.
The aim of this MoU is to cooperate in order to avoid the manipulation of sports events and competitions by gamblers of malicious intent, whereby the LGA in collaboration with its licensed operators shall provide the necessary assistance to ensure the effective workings of the EWS. Such collaboration shall augment even further, the existing deterrents and shall ensure that the possibility of achieving unfair winnings, (a phenomenon which is particularly present with respect to unregulated betting activities) remains shut out of the regulated markets, such as that regulated by the LGA.
The EWS – LGA MOU shall bring together FIFA’s early warning system, the LGA and its betting licensees to exchange betting-related information to assist the investigation of betting patterns or insider betting connected with sporting events and competitions.
The MOU was signed by Mr Reuben Portanier, CEO of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority and Dr Urs Scherrer, CEO of FIFA Early Warning System GmbH.
Commenting on this important collaboration, Malta’s Minister of Finance, the Economy and Industry, Mr Tonio Fenech, stated that such a collaborative agreement between the LGA and FIFA reflects the importance that the Maltese Legislation places on game fairness in all senses. Minister Fenech also stated that Malta has, in addition to very strict Gaming Legislation, a specific legal framework to prevent corruption in sports. Thus, such collaboration forms an important addition to complement the intention and spirit of the law. Minister Fenech congratulated both the LGA and the FIFA Early Warning System for engaging in such a collaborative framework.