Malta’s gambling regulator is warning its licensees to safeguard the integrity of their betting markets in these topsy-turvy pandemic times.

On Monday, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) issued a notice to sports betting licensees who have found themselves with nothing to offer their customers following the mass cancellation of sports and racing events due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Desperate times may call for desperate measures but the MGA is worried that its bookmakers will throw caution to the wind in offering “betting on events with different risk profiles to those traditionally offered,” such as eSports, which may not be run “to the same professional degree as the more traditional sporting events.”

The MGA wants operators to ensure that eSports matches aren’t pre-recorded and for bookmakers’ risk teams to know if there’s a pre-set delay between the actual match and the public broadcast. Operators should also verify information regarding the participants and officials and to ensure that none of these individuals are wagering on the outcome.