The 2026 World Cup is set to kick off next week, and the Malta Gaming Authority has issued a stern directive to all its licensed operators before the whistle blows: upgrade monitoring, and do not overlook any suspicious betting. The World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, and the MGA believes that the risk of market manipulation is significantly increased during this window, necessitating tighter regulation. Regulatory bodies in South Africa, France, and the Netherlands have also raised alarms before the game, forming a global regulatory concerto.
MGA slams the table: Appoint a dedicated person, report suspicious betting immediately
The requirements outlined by the MGA in the notice are very specific. First, all licensed gambling operators must comply with the provisions of Article 43 of Directive No. 3 of the **2018 Gambling Licensing and Compliance Directive** issued by Malta, and timely submit anomalies through the MGA's suspicious betting reporting mechanism. This is not a suggestion, it is a mandatory requirement—MGA explicitly warns that non-compliance will face severe regulatory consequences.
Secondly, each operator must appoint a Sports Integrity Liaison Officer as the designated contact for the MGA Sports Integrity Team and other relevant agencies. Internal control processes must also be strengthened simultaneously, and operators need to actively cooperate with MGA's investigations, rather than waiting for issues to arise before supplementing materials. MGA also advises operators to consult its previously published "Suspicious Betting Reporting Requirements and Sports Integrity Matters Guidance Document" to ensure compliance upfront.
It is noteworthy that the MGA specifically emphasizes its ongoing collaboration with FIFA—this means that during the World Cup, suspicious signals are not only monitored by MGA, but FIFA's anti-corruption mechanisms are also in operation.
Global regulatory resonance: South Africa, France, and the Netherlands show their cards together
If we broaden our view, MGA's action is not an isolated move.
The South African National Gambling Board just issued a warning against illegal gambling for the World Cup this week. Acting CEO Lungile Dukwana described a quite sophisticated scam routine: illegal platforms mainly target victims through Facebook ads, WhatsApp messages, Telegram groups, SMS push links, fake social media pages, and mobile apps downloaded from unofficial app stores. In his own words, "Once the victim pays, they either lose contact with the operator or are forced to continue betting." PASA's official website also noticed South Africa's pre-World Cup warning, the pattern of illegal gambling harvesting users during the big event window is not new.
The Dutch gambling regulatory authority has targeted betting advertisements, warning licensed parties that any violation of gambling advertising regulations will face swift enforcement, especially emphasizing the protection of vulnerable groups. On the other side, France's ANJ has directly launched a campaign against World Cup betting addiction—a recent survey shows that 41% of French respondents plan to bet during the World Cup, a number that makes it hard for regulators to sit still.
From the Southern Hemisphere to the European continent, from cleaning up illegal platforms to advertising compliance and addiction prevention, regulatory efforts almost cover every risk aspect of World Cup gambling. For licensed operators, this World Cup is not about whether they can make money, but whether they can make money legally—any wishful thinking might result in hefty fines.
————
This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel: https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
