Online gaming license: Malta Gaming Authority

The legislative structure of online gaming in Malta is now supported by the Malta Gaming Authority, the Maltese body responsible for regulating all casino operators in the territory of the archipelago, including online casinos and land-based casinos. Mga regulations are known to be quite strict, and the institution prides itself on maintaining direct contact with its operators ' users.

The Malta Gaming Authority replaced Malta's former regulatory body in 2015, known as the Malta Lottery and Gaming Authority. No drastic changes were made to its form or activity, but it was remodeled.

Malta was one of the first countries to regulate the online gambling games . Its purpose was precisely to attract large and foreign gambling companies with tax incentives (low taxes, mainly). Thanks to this, the country has secured a privileged position in the world online gambling scene, a position it occupies to this day. Much of the boom Economic through which the archipelago has been going through in recent years may also be related to the growth of this industry.

The growth in popularity of online gaming and the subsequent exponential creation of numerous online casinos and betting sites since the turn of the century have contributed to the recognition of the MGA (and Malta, as a whole) as one of the most conducive environments for gaming companies.

In 2004, Malta updated its legislation on online gaming, ceasing to separate online games from mobile games, for example. This has facilitated the permitting and licensing process of online casinos and betting sites. The new regulations also focus more precisely on player support and protection: they separate player accounts from casino funds, forcing “dormant” funds to be returned to players.

In 2008, the European Union already identified that the revenue from online games in the country was about eleven times higher than in other European countries. In 2013, Malta already occupied one of the first places in the list of most profitable countries for the online gaming industry. Naturally, this began to attract even more companies to the archipelago in the following years.

But nothing happened by chance. Malta attracted online casino games with low taxes and a privileged location: being within Europe and the euro zone had positive repercussions on gambling companies, in that their capital was not as exposed to the international market, when compared to other regions attractive to gambling companies, such as Curaçao and the Philippines.

Today, Malta brings together on its small islands approximately 10% of the world's online casino operators. This is impressive, considering the diminutive size of the country. Because of this importance in the global online gambling scene, Malta hosts some of the biggest events in the area, such as the Summit of iGaming Malta (SiGMA), which is global in scope and brings together both casino operators and Game providers every year. The last edition, in 2017, had more than 200 exhibitors.

The application process for MGA licenses is the same for all types (there are four). Applicants may submit the information required by the MGA and it will assess whether the applicant:

1. He's fit to run a betting business.
2. You are prepared to conduct the business from a strategic perspective.
3. Meets the requirements prescribed by law and MGA policy.
4. Implemented and tested, from a technical point of view, what it is applying, before putting it live.

In addition, there are five stages before application approval or disapproval: fitness, business planning, operational requirements, System Review, and Compliance Review.

There are four types of license for which a gaming company can apply in Malta. The applicant can apply to only one of them, or to all of them.

• • • Class 1 - License for online casino games and lottery games.
    • Class 2 - License for sports betting or events based on fixed odds.
    • Class 3 - License for interactive gaming portals such as online poker networks.
    • Class 4 - License to maintain and manage gaming operators, for businesses operating other licensed businesses.

In this way, any kind of betting site (sports betting, lottery games, casino games) can get a license with the Malta Gaming Authority.

The MGA takes player protection and responsible gaming seriously. All sites licensed by the MGA must make available to their users resources to prevent compulsive gambling. For example, casinos should allow players to stay away from betting for long periods of time and allow them to permanently delete their account.

The MGA launched the Responsible Gaming Foundation in 2014, which aims to promote conscious gaming as well as promote responsible gaming initiatives and studies. In this way, in the long term the Responsible Gaming Foundation of the MGA aims to create greater knowledge and debate about the possible consequences of gambling, and also about the possible consequences of gambling in Malta. The foundation has a unique website where players can find information and support channels.

At New ZealandCasinos, our team reviews a number of online casinos and betting sites that accept New Zealand players. With detailed and unbiased reviews, we aim to bring more relevant information about online casinos to everyone who intends to bet money from New Zealand, especially on the issues of online gambling license .

You can check out all our reviews whenever you want, from our home menu. Additionally, we also rate casino game providers such as Microgaming and Evolution Gaming , as well as lottery sites , poker sites and sports betting.

Hundreds of online casinos have already been licensed in Malta. If you want to see the full list, go to the entity's website.

Below, check out all the MGA licensed casinos we've reviewed. By clicking on them, you can read our review and learn more about each one. Almost all the casinos we review are reliable and safe. If it is not, we will indicate it in our evaluations. In addition, you can also access various game bonuses from our page. Enjoy!