Malta Gaming Authority Signs Integrity Deal With The WPBSA

• The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) are working together in a new data-sharing deal.
• The purpose of this new partnership is to ensure the integrity of snooker events being bet on with the MGA.

BRISTOL, United Kingdom – The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) now hold a data-sharing agreement to help with the integrity factor of the MGA and their sports betting businesses.

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, there have been almost no major sports to gamble on. However, billiards and snooker are receiving more spotlight because of the lack of competition with other sporting events, therefore, creating this agreement to ensure matches are in no way corrupted by suspicious behaviors.

The Partnership Of The MGA And WPBSA

All aspects of both billiards and snooker events on a global basis are regulated by the WPBSA. This means that they are responsible for the integrity of the games.

As the popularity of the two games grows, they require more attention to ensure the fairness and safety of the industry. Any activity that doesn’t seem to be right in terms of betting patterns will be closely monitored and investigated if need be.

“This is an important step forward in the battle against match fixing and betting issues in snooker. I am really pleased to have the support of Antonio and his team in combating corruption in sport,” said Nigel Mawer QPM, WPBSA Vice Chairman.

The partnership was drawn up as part of the MGA’s already established Sports Integrity Unit for their sports betting industry. This part of the gaming authority was created in 2019 with the purpose to avoid all crimes, corruption, or any type of activity that would result in a fixed game.

The MGA wants to protect the players, the organizations, and the sports bettors that are wagering on games who expect that they will all be played fairly.

Snooker has recently been under a microscope with the MGA to make sure the game is played correctly which is another reason why this agreement has now been made with the WPBSA.

“In these unprecedented times there has been a shift in focus from team sports to more individual sports. Hence, this period proved to be a perfect example of how stakeholders of sports and sports betting integrity need to widen their horizons in terms of collaboration. Our recent data-sharing agreement with the WPBSA places us in a position to be able to also assist individual sports in their fight against corruption,” said Antonio Zerafa, MGA Sports Integrity Manager.

The Integrity Is Real

Now that the WPBSA is involved with the MGA, the integrity of their snooker events in or outside of the United Kingdom will remain intact. Sports bettors of the game can rest assured that they will be betting on matches without fear that the outcome is already known.

Sportsbooks will be able to use proper data for all their bets and odds posted, as the information they receive will not have been tampered with.

This new data-sharing agreement will monitor all activities regarding the game to make sure that the games remain a secure and transparent market for fans and players alike.

News tags: data sharing | Malta | Malta Gaming Authority | MGA | snooker | World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association | WPBSA