The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has reported a slight increase in suspicious betting activity in its third-quarter Sports Betting Integrity Report for 2025, with football and tennis once again dominating the figures. The regulator said it received 68 suspicious betting reports between July and September.

The latest figures prove how match-fixing and irregular betting patterns remain persistent threats despite mounting regulatory and investigative efforts. According to the Q3 update, “we received 68 suspicious betting reports” between July and September. By comparison, the authority reported 65 suspicious events in the first quarter of the year and 61 in the second quarter.

Not all alerts indicate confirmed manipulation, but they do reflect unusual betting activity that warrants closer inspection. As the Q3 report notes, “reported suspicious events are activities flagged by licensees during events, further supported by irregular betting patterns.”

Alerting process and investigations

“The alerting process begins when suspicious betting is flagged by operators or systems. If a threat is identified, an alert is shared with key stakeholders for follow-up,” the report explains.

Out of the 68 reports in Q3, 49 alerts were shared with relevant stakeholders. Of these, 27 did not require a formal report, 13 resulted in detailed reports being sent to sports governing bodies, and nine remain in progress.

In terms of investigative cooperation, the MGA participated in 12 cases during Q3. Eight involved football, while the others related to basketball, cricket, tennis and athletics. In Q2, the authority was involved in 11 investigations, all but one concerning football.

According to MGA’s guidance paper, licensees are legally obliged to report suspicious betting to the authority. This applies to both B2C and B2B operators, and reports must be filed “before the expiration of 3 days from the date on which the licensee first becomes aware of the irregular activity”.

Football and tennis dominate suspicious activity 

Football once again accounted for the largest share of alerts, with 29 cases. Tennis followed closely behind with 26. Esports and table tennis each recorded five cases, while horse racing saw two and cricket, athletics and badminton had one each.

In Q2, the regulator reported a much higher concentration in football. Of the 61 cases then recorded, 47 were linked to football. Only six involved esports, and just one each in cricket and horse racing.

Geographically, most suspicious activity in Q3 was linked to Europe, with 30 alerts. Asia accounted for five, South America for four, North America and Africa for two each, and one in the Middle East / West Asia. Esports events were categorised separately as “international,” given their remote nature.

Ongoing fight against match-fixing  

Reports from 2025 show a recurring pattern: football is still the sport most affected by suspicious betting, while esports and tennis are becoming more at risk.  

In Q2, the MGA highlighted its promise to keep “promoting responsibility and integrity across the gaming sector.” The latest report supports this idea, promising to “continue promoting integrity and responsibility across the gaming sector.”

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