The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has entered into a collaborative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC).
This was announced today and is ‘in the interests of protecting and maintaining the integrity of esports and esports betting’.
The aim of this MoU is to foster cooperation between the two entities to avoid the manipulation of esports events and competitions. The MGA, in collaboration with its licensed operators, will provide information on suspicious betting patterns to assist ESIC with its investigations or insider betting connected with esports events and competitions.
ESIC Integrity Commissioner Ian Smith said: “We are delighted that the Malta Gaming Authority has agreed to work with us in making esports a safer wagering environment.
“The MGA is a very highly respected regulator of sports betting and it has been a pleasure developing this information sharing mechanism with them. Adding the experience and vital information of our other partners in the information exchange to the Authority’s intelligence database and vice versa will undoubtedly strengthen all our efforts considerably.”
Joseph Cuschieri, Chairman of the MGA stated: “I am very pleased that we signed this MoU with ESIC. Keeping abuse and crime out of sports betting is high on our agenda and the MGA will always be at the forefront to collaborate in such matters both locally and internationally”.
Currently ESIC members include betting operators, regulators, tournament operators and more. These include Betway, ESL, Unikrn, Sportradar, DreamHack, ESP, FirstBlood, GameCo, Pinnacle, Intel and more.
If you’re interested in learning more about integrity and esports betting, ESIC’s Chairman Kevin Carpenter will be speaking on a panel alongside ESL UK MD James Dean and Eric Konings of Kindred at Betting on Esports in London in September (13-15). Dom Sacco of the British Esports Association will moderate.
Esports Insider says: This is another step in the right direction for ESIC as it expands the partners it works with and in doing so, especially with an organisation like the MGA, enhances the important work it’s able to do.
Disclaimer: As a part of SBC Global, Esports Insider is organising the Betting on Esports Conference
