MGA flags 65 suspicious sports betting events in Q1 2025
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has released its Sports Betting Integrity report for the first quarter of 2025. According to the report, 65 suspicious betting events were flagged between January and March. These events, identified by licensees, were supported by irregular betting patterns, as the MGA explained.
“While the percentage of fixed matches is estimated to be fewer than 1 percent across all sports, high betting turnover results in millions of euros in profits for match fixers each year,” noted the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol).
During the first quarter, the MGA also received 30 Suspicious Account Reports—potentially suspicious activities flagged by licensees, originating from accounts that may not directly impact in-game events.
Football leads in suspicious activity reports
Football continues to dominate suspicious betting activity, accounting for 45 of the 65 flagged events, a trend that is consistent with the sport’s popularity and high betting volume globally.
Tennis and basketball followed, each with six flagged events. Horse racing saw 3 cases, while table tennis and futsal each recorded two each. One case was reported in eSports.
Nearly half of the suspicious events took place in Europe. North America accounted for 9, Africa for 6, South America and Asia for two each.
MGA’s sophisticated alert system
“The alerting process begins when suspicious betting is flagged by operators or systems,” the MGA explained. “If a threat is identified, an alert is shared with key stakeholders for follow-up.”
The regulator takes the threat of match-fixing seriously and created the (SBI) department in August 2019 to strengthen efforts against the manipulation of sports competitions.
International collaboration at the core of match-fixing fight
Collaboration plays a central role in preserving the integrity of sports and associated betting markets. The MGA, therefore, positions itself as a liaison with local and international regulators, law enforcement, betting monitoring systems, sports bodies, and gaming operators.
In Q1 2025, the MGA shared 39 alerts with key stakeholders. Fourteen of these included detailed betting data and were forwarded to Sports Governing Bodies. The authority was also asked to participate in 16 investigations, which involved sharing relevant data with the appropriate investigating bodies.
