Is moving to Malta for sports trading too risky?

[Vaduz]

Thanks Selmer, what I'd like to understand before leaving is whether I will have to rely solely on Betfair, or if it is also legal in Malta to make a profit with broker-managed exchanges like Orbit, Sharp, Oddjusta, etc.

[Dublin_Flyer]

Thank you very much, and sorry for the late reply. Yes, I think I'll try to move; if things don't work out, I can always come back and work as I've always done.
I was wondering if Malta or Ireland gives me the chance to use Sharp, Orbit, OddJusta, and other broker exchanges, because I don't want to rely only on betfair.com

From what I've read online, in Ireland you can use Sharp and Orbit through a broker, Oddjusta I'm not sure but think it's ok. Your main problem would be getting decent accommodation, rent in any of the bigger cities or college cities is crazy expensive. Smaller cities/towns much more affordable but you'd need to do a bit of research to check what the broadband coverage is like there, some are still stone age levels of internet.

If the weather has a direct effect on your mood/trading results then definitely go for Malta!

[Selmer]

Thanks Selmer, what I'd like to understand before leaving is whether I will have to rely solely on Betfair, or if it is also legal in Malta to make a profit with broker-managed exchanges like Orbit, Sharp, Oddjusta, etc.

Not sure about Orbit, I couldn`t even open their website. Probably not legal here. Oddjusta seems to be fine, Sharp is restricted due to regulatory rules.

But I dont think you would need any of those. Back to your first question, I am completely certain that your Betfair account won`t be closed as long as you play by the rules.

[Vaduz]

I see...ok...thank you...i asked just becuase I've read about people whose accounts were closed without any apparent reason, so I wanted to understand whether a sports trader relies solely on Betfair or diversifies to reduce that risk...then If it's possible to diversify, I was wondering which country, Malta or Ireland, would be more suitable for that.

[Kai]

I've read about people whose accounts were closed without any apparent reason, so I wanted to understand whether a sports trader relies solely on Betfair or diversifies to reduce that risk

Some of us have had accounts closed temporarily due to random system errors or other issues... However, if you play by the rules you are almost certain to be fine. It is important to separate real risks from irrational fears, altho I understand how hard that distinction is for someone starting their journey, especially when reading about extreme worst case scenarios online. That doesn't help!

Since you are Italian, Malta seems a no-brainer given the close proximity and shared language etc. As a highly regulated gambling hub, your account is arguably much safer there than in the UK/IRE, where you have to deal with aggressive affordability shenanigans. Not sure how others feel but bear in mind that most people on this forum are Brits who take their account security for granted and have probably never had to worry about these regional restrictions.

That said, if a friend asked me where to start trading today in 2026, I definitely wouldn't point them toward Betfair. I have no commercial ties to any platform, so I can plainly say that the barrier to entry there may no longer be worth it, when compared to alternatives.

"Alternatives" here is a tricky word though, I think BF doesn't have a direct alternative but every platform has its own set of rules and mechanics that you have to learn and adapt your approaches for.

Either way I wish you the best of luck.

[Selmer]

I see...ok...thank you...i asked just becuase I've read about people whose accounts were closed without any apparent reason, so I wanted to understand whether a sports trader relies solely on Betfair or diversifies to reduce that risk...then If it's possible to diversify, I was wondering which country, Malta or Ireland, would be more suitable for that.

Before moving, I talked to Betfair about my plans and asked them how to do things right. I was lucky to speak with a very helpful agent, then just followed her instructions and never had any problems with them.

Also, with the numbers you mentioned (2-3k a month) I would struggle in Ireland. The rent is twice as expensive as Malta. That would really add unnecessary pressure on you to trade profitably every month.

[Dublin_Flyer]

Since you are Italian, Malta seems a no-brainer given the close proximity and shared language etc. As a highly regulated gambling hub, your account is arguably much safer there than in the UK/IRE, where you have to deal with aggressive affordability shenanigans.

No affordability checks in IRE Kai, the lower 26 counties anyway, good aul GDPR! No idea what the craic is in the other 6 counties though, don't think I've seen a poster on the forum from that area mention it.

[Kai]

Since you are Italian, Malta seems a no-brainer given the close proximity and shared language etc. As a highly regulated gambling hub, your account is arguably much safer there than in the UK/IRE, where you have to deal with aggressive affordability shenanigans.

No affordability checks in IRE Kai, the lower 26 counties anyway, good aul GDPR! No idea what the craic is in the other 6 counties though, don't think I've seen a poster on the forum from that area mention it.

That's good to hear and long may it continue. Thx for the feedback

Obviously, everyone should try and do their own due dilligence, but I always feel there should be more feedback and info in general about things in general (I don't get the stinginess tbh), like pinned threads and videos etc, to help people keep up with changing rules and regulations. Make it an official resource people can actually use. I keep seeing traders from various regions whose livelihoods are threatened scrambling for basic info, and I've done the best I could to provide that whenever I could, especially for those in my own region.

On that note, I don't suppose anyone here has ever heard of a professional trader successfully getting Irish citizenship? (aka degenerate gambler from their POV)

Because I can't see European traders getting past the "good character" requirement if basically their entire income history looks unconventional to the state. Has anyone actually managed to pull it off?

Asking obviously because of the CTA (Common Travel Area) deal between IRE and UK, which would theoretically allow someone with an Irish passport to live and work in the UK as well completely restriction-free, bypassing the standard UK visa system. Always seemed like a convenient option for any trader, minus the shockingly bad weather which is worse in reality than it sounds.

My brother for example has an English citizenship already and has bought property there so I'm familiar with the process, while my Dublin-based best friend has zero interest in doing any of that. But they are not traders so it's a very straightforward process.