World Aquatics Removes Maltese Association from Betting Investigation

^{Pictured: Husain Al‑Musallam, President of World Aquatics}

World Aquatics has taken over an investigation into betting involving members of Malta’s national water polo team, removing the Aquastic Sports Association from the process.

According to Times of Malta, the international federation instructed the national body to refrain from taking independent action and to hand over all relevant materials.

The move follows concerns over the effectiveness of internal oversight mechanisms, with sources citing “weak integrity structures” within the Maltese federation.

The probe follows a report by the Malta Gaming Authority, which said six national team players, along with several individuals linked to clubs and coaching staff, had placed bets on Malta’s matches during the European Championships held in Belgrade in January. The regulator said there were sufficient grounds to believe the bets were made by individuals directly involved in the sport.

World Aquatics, in cooperation with the European governing body for aquatic sports, has requested all evidence collected by Maltese police.

The six players named in the case were not included in the squad for a recent tournament. However, no formal sanctions have been imposed so far and some continue to compete in domestic competitions.

The Maltese Water Polo Association previously said the recorded betting activity by players and individuals connected to the sport showed “no signs of match-fixing.” However, the fact that bets were placed on matches involving their own national team prompted scrutiny from regulators and international governing bodies.

Earlier, Gambling Park reported that Malta is considering introducing regulation for prediction markets.