MGA signs MoU with Esports Integrity Coalition

Malta’s gaming authority signed a memorandum of understanding along with the Esports Integrity Coalition.

Malta.- Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC) have announced that they signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in order to keep integrity of eSports and eSports betting.

The collaboration is set to create cooperation between the two bodies in order to avoid manipulation in both eSports events and competitions. Malta’s authority will provide ESIC the information that the association gathers on suspicious betting patterns, as the latter will investigate them. IHS Markit conducted a report that revealed that whilst it still doesn’t compete with mainstream sports, eSports viewing figures have been growing exponentially in the last few years. Whilst approximately Americans dedicated six billion hours to the online modality last year, a 19 percent increase, it is expected that the number will grow to seven million viewers for the tournament finals. The numbers revealed by the report show that the audience is set to grow more than 50 percent in the next five years.

Ian Smith, ESIC Integrity Commissioner, 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.”

Chairman of MGA, Joseph Cushieri, said that he’s very pleased that the MGA signed the MoU with ESIC, as keeping abuse and crime out of sports betting is high on the agenda and the MGA will always be at the forefront to collaborate in such matters both locally and internationally.