Poll results: Readers unconvinced by Malta exchange plan

The establishment of a regulator-managed national betting exchange in Malta won’t help licensees manage risk, the majority of respondents to this week’s poll have said.

Following news the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) was planning to set up a national betting exchange to help sportsbooks hedge positions and lay off liabilities, EGR Intel asked whether the product would actually provide such benefits.

And 61% of readers were unconvinced, stating they didn’t feel the exchange would help them manage their trading risk.

Indeed, one industry consultant, who requested anonymity, questioned who would provide the liquidity with most firms likely to have similar liabilities.

“This sounds like a poorly thought through idea,” he said. “A reinsurance style concept would perhaps have been more interesting.”

However, the result is clearly at odds with MGA chief executive Joseph Cuschieri, who told EGR Intel: “I believe that this project will further enhance Malta’s reputation as a gaming jurisdiction and create an innovative structure where bets can be hedged.”

And 39% of respondents to the poll backed the regulatory chief, believing the exchange would provide operators with an extra lever to manage liabilities.