The agreement between the two parties aims to facilitate information sharing in order to comply with sports betting laws and protect the integrity of Slovakian football.
This agreement is part of a growing list of data sharing agreements with international partners in the sporting world, reflecting the commitment of the MGA to address match-fixing investigations globally. The hope is that this level of assistance can now be extended to the Slovak FA as well.
The exchange of information between the Slovak FA and the police investigations is particularly crucial due to the presence of many popular betting companies in Slovakia that hold a Malta gambling license. By sharing best practices and information, the fight against match-fixing can be strengthened.
Last week, the MGA published data from its Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, revealing a significant increase in suspicious transaction reports (STRs) received from remote gambling operators in 2019 compared to the previous year. The total number of STRs in 2019 was 1,445, representing a 106.4% increase from 2018.
Three unnamed companies filed 32% of all STRs in 2019, while five other companies accounted for 35% of the reports. The remaining 33% of STRs were provided by 72 entities, with 29 remote gambling operators submitting only one report during the year.
The MGA’s Suspicious Betting Reporting Mechanism (SBRM) was launched in November to enable all MGA-licensed sports betting operators to report any suspicious activity to the regulator’s dedicated Sports Integrity Unit. This mechanism aims to ensure a smooth transition to regulatory changes effective from January 1, 2021, when operators will be legally required to report suspicious betting activity.
