The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is set to implement a significant upgrade to its regulatory framework as it transitions to a more sophisticated, evidence-driven approach for 2025. This initiative aims to intensify supervision of the online gaming sector and foster transparency with stakeholders, reinforcing MGA’s commitment to industry standards and trust.

Focus on compliance, player protection, and integrity:

Central to MGA’s enhanced strategy are the regulatory themes of compliance, player protection, and sports betting integrity. By focusing on these areas, MGA intends to maintain the highest industry standards and strengthen its role as a dependable regulator.

In its press release, the MGA released its revised strategy, which includes several key outcomes aimed at improving the oversight and management of the gaming landscape.

By directing resources to high-risk areas, the Authority ensures more effective regulatory interventions. Strengthening collaboration with operators to promote compliance and best practices is another critical component of this strategy. Additionally, the MGA is committed to anticipating and addressing emerging challenges in a dynamic market environment, which forms a significant part of its proactive risk management efforts.

This approach aligns with MGA’s broader objectives to enhance the resilience of the online gaming sector, safeguard player interests, and build greater confidence among stakeholders in a sustainable and well-regulated industry.

Detailed focus on operational and governance resilience:

The MGA is introducing targeted reviews and audits that focus on crucial aspects of operations and governance. The Operational Resilience review will assess IT security and incident response capabilities to ensure that licensees safeguard critical systems and player data. Meanwhile, the Governance Assurance review will scrutinize the effectiveness of key personnel responsible for compliance, internal audits, and anti-money laundering practices.

Additionally, MGA will conduct full-scope compliance audits through approved service providers, ensuring that licensees adhere to high operational and financial integrity standards, including anti-money laundering regulations and player protection measures.

Sports betting integrity, especially in local football betting and the reporting of suspicious activities, remains a priority. The MGA plans to continue its focus on these areas to prevent unethical practices and enhance market integrity.

In response to the growing concern over problem gambling, MGA will also perform a thematic review on self-exclusion practices to evaluate the effectiveness of mechanisms across gaming platforms, ensuring they meet the needs of players and mitigate the risks associated with gambling addiction.

The introduction of the MGA Supervisory Toolkit marks a significant development in MGA’s regulatory approach, providing a comprehensive methodology for supervision, including inspections, meetings, reviews, and mystery shopping.

In recent advancements, the MGA awarded its first ESG Code Approval Seal to operators demonstrating exceptional business practices, emphasizing the authority’s commitment to environmental, social, and governance standards.