• Malta Gambling Authority Malta
• National Gaming Authority

The board of governors of The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has officially appointed Dr Carl Brincat as the new chief executive officer following Heathcliff Farrugia's recent resignation.Having held the role of Chief Legal & Enforcement Officer within the MGA and being a part of the MGA&. The Malta Gaming Authority is the regulatory body responsible for the governance of all gaming activities in Malta, both online and land-based. But which are the gaming sectors they are involved at and where do they award licenses to?

Malta Gaming Authority 11,537 followers on LinkedIn. The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) fuses the commercial needs of operators with a deep understanding of gaming legislation and practice. As the single regulatory body that is responsible for the governance of all gaming activities in Malta, it is considered by many to be the preferred global remote gaming regulator. The MGA’s mission. Malta Gaming Authority appoints new CEO The Board of Governors of the Malta Gaming Authority has appointed Dr. Carl Brincat as Chief Executive Officer of the MGA with immediate effect, following a highly competitive selection process which was commenced with the launch of a public call for applications on December 17, 2020.

Malta Gambling Authority Malta

Malta Gaming Authority is one of the European supervisory authorities that licenses online casinos, among other things. There are many laws and regulations regarding the operation of MGA online casinos or the provision of casino software and there are different licenses for different products.

Most Recommended MGA Online Casinos

Casinos licensed by the MGA are listed here. Every casino has a review with detailed information about payments, bonuses and conditions.

Not every company can get a license from Malta, there are regulations and requirements that must be met before a license is granted. Operators who do not comply with regulations or do not offer their players a safe gaming environment, including the payment of legitimate winnings, will have their licenses revoked.

Malta Gaming Authority: All the details about the authority

Safe online gambling is not possible without a regulated framework. Each player should only play with one provider if it has an official license from a regulatory authority. This is the only way to ensure that everything is going well when playing and that the players can actually rely on possible winnings. One of the best-known and most respected regulators of all is the Malta Gaming Authority, also known as MGA for short. In the following, we have taken a very close look at the authority and its work and list the ways in which the players are helped.

The MGA was originally founded as the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) in 2001. It regulates land-based casinos, sports betting, fantasy sports, lottery games and online gambling for B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-customer) services.

How reputable is the Malta Gaming Authority?

The MGA is arguably one of the most famous and respected regulatory authorities in the world. Countless online casinos are based in Malta so that they can be licensed and regulated by the MGA. Therefore, players can play with confidence when they discover a casino with a license from the MGA and want to try it out.

The four different licenses of the MGA

MGA offers its customers four different concessions, depending on the field of activity. In detail these are:

1. Remote Gaming License
2. Remote Betting License
3. Promote gaming
4. Host and Manage Operators

The Class 1 license is available for providers of casino games and lotteries, the Class 2 license for providers of sports betting, the Class 3 license for affiliates and the Class 4 license is aimed at hosters of online gaming providers. Of course, a provider can also have multiple licenses if it offers different branches of gambling.

Requirements for the applicant’s share capital

Each applicant must be able to provide evidence of the required minimum share capital for the license categories mentioned above at the MGA in accordance with the desired license. As a rule, the share capital must have been deposited in full and in cash in the licensee’s account:

What criteria are the licenses based on?

The activities of the MGA lead to some advantages for the players. So the protection of the players is very important.

This applies to potential gambling addiction as well as to protection against criminal activities, for example before selling or hacking personal data such as credit card information.

Another criterion for granting a license to a provider is the fact that the player’s credit is kept separate from the casino’s assets. This protects the money from attacks by criminals and the credit can be refunded in the event of the online casino’s bankruptcy.

One of the most important things in online gambling is the use of a random number generator. It is present in every game and ensures that all events are purely random. If a casino tries to manipulate the random number generator and the MGA finds out, the casino loses its license.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Malta casinos with a valid MGA license

At this point in our overview of the MGA license you should already have a good overview of the history and legal regulations of the Maltese gaming license. Overall, it can be stated that the online casinos and sports betting providers based in Malta follow strict laws and regulations. The following table shows the most important advantages and disadvantages of an MGA gaming license:

Procedure in the event of problems

If a problem arises – such as a win that has not been paid out – the player can contact the MGA. The best way to do this is to go to their website, find the contact information and write an email or call. The MGA will then inspect the online casino. If the suspicion is confirmed and there is actually a problem, the company will lose its license for the time being.

Players shouldn’t be afraid to contact the MGA if they have any problems, because that’s what they’re there for. It is the purpose of the authority to ensure a fair market and weed out black sheep. Using the wrong license number is a problem that can certainly arise. Because usually the license number can be found at the bottom of an online casino’s website. But you cannot always rely on their accuracy. Therefore, players should go to the MGA website and check the list of licensed casinos to check that the numbers match.

MGA Casinos payment options

If you want to make a deposit and play at an MGA casino, there are many other payment options available to you. Here you can find out more about them and then decide which one you like best. Some of our most common categories deal with credit and debit cards, electronic wallets, prepaid cards, and of course, cryptocurrency. Each of these payment options has advantages and disadvantages and you have to find out which payment option suits you best. Depending on the casino, fees may apply for some payment options. So it can’t hurt to use different methods. The most popular payment options at MGA Casinos are currently:

• ecoPayz
• ETH
• Trustly
• Instant bank
• PaySafeCard

Summary

The casino veteran of course also knows the MGA and its licensed old and new online casinos. Some say that he only plays in such casinos, but we think it’s a legend because the casino veteran is always open to smaller regulators. In any case, playing in a casino licensed by the MGA is a safe bet, as everything is done properly and the players’ data and money are protected as well as possible.

The Malta Gaming Authority (“MGA”) has published a guidance note (“Guidelines”) laying out the impact that the United Kingdom’s (“UK”) exit from the European Union (“EU”) will have on regulatory affairs within the remit of the MGA. These Guidelines apply to entities established in Malta and operating in the UK, with a UK licence but without a Maltese Licence, or entities established in the UK providing services and supplies within Malta.

They set out transitory measures to ensure minimal impact on regulatory efficiency and ongoing business. In essence operators have 12 months from the effective date when the EU acquis is no longer applicable to the United Kingdom to bring their operations in line with these Guidelines.

Who is Affected?

UK entities holding a Maltese licence

Since according to Article 10 of the Maltese Gaming Authorisations Regulations a person is only eligible to hold a Maltese gaming licence if such person is established within the European Economic Area (“EEA”), after the UK’s exit from the EU any persons and entities established in the UK and holding an MGA licence will no longer meet this requirement.

This means that such entities will need to transfer that MGA licence to a person established in the EEA or re-domicile to an EEA country.

Entities holding a recognition notice to provide a gaming service, or a critical gaming supply in or from Malta

Pursuant to Regulation 22 of the Gaming Authorisations Regulations the MGA may issue a recognition notice whereby it recognises and relies on licences issued by another EU or EEA authority in order to allow entities to provide a gaming service or a critical gaming supply in or from Malta without the requirement to obtain a MGA licence.

Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the validity of existing recognition notices or prospective applicants of the recognition notice will be impacted. The MGA has confirmed that it will process all applications for a recognition notice submitted prior to the actual effective date when the EU acquis is no longer applicable to the UK however all recognition notices issued will only be valid for the twelve-month term of validity of that recognition notice. Once the term lapses, they will not be renewed.

National Gaming Authority

Therefore, after the UK’s exit from the EU, all entities wishing to continue operating in or from Malta would need to either apply for a licence with the MGA, or apply for a recognition notice in relation to any other EU/EEA licence they may have, for it to be recognised accordingly by the MGA.

The provision of a service and/or supply without the necessary licence or recognition notice constitutes a criminal offence under the Gaming Act (Chapter 583 of the Laws of Malta).

Next Steps

Duly authorised operators will not have to do anything during the transitory period i.e. for 12 months from the actual effective date when the EU acquis is no longer applicable to the UK.

Following the expiry of the above described transitory period, operators intending to continue operating in or from Malta have the following options:

1. Licence holders may either:
   a) transfer their MGA licence from the UK person holding that licence to another company within the same corporate group, which is located in the EEA, subject to the MGA’s prior approval; or
   b) redomicile to an EEA country and duly notify the MGA within thirty (30) days.
2. Operators holding recognition notices who wish to continue to operate in or from Malta must either:
   a) apply for a licence with the MGA under a Maltese or EEA company, or
   b) apply for a recognition notice in relation to any other EU/EEA licence they may have.

Regulatory matters not impacted by Brexit

Notwithstanding the above, the UK’s exit from the EU will not impact the following which continue to be valid:

• The MGA’s recognition of random number generator or game certificates issued according to UK standards;
• The MGA’s acceptance of UK licensed and regulated credit, financial and payment institutions for the purpose of holding player funds;
• The MGA’s acceptance of the use by licensed entities of UK licensed and regulated payment methods;
• The MGA’s acceptance of essential components located in UK territory (without prejudice to the position that may be taken by the European Commission, the European Data Protection Supervisor, and the Information and Data Protection Commissioner in Malta); and
• The MGA’s approval for licensed operators having offices in the UK, including key function holders performing their duties from the UK.

Gaming and gambling operators are advised to be aware of any other potential consequences resulting from Brexit, falling outside the remit of the MGA, including, but not limited to, matters relating to data protection, immigration, duty and copyright.

For further information about how GVZH Advocates can help you with your online gaming legal requirements, kindly contact us on gaming@gvzh.mt.