On June 5, 2025, Thursday, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) published its annual report on financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2024. The report offers detailed insights into land-based and online operators in Malta, along with the regulator’s key activities and developments over the past year.
Key Points of the Story
- Compliance remained a crucial aspect for the regulator. It completed 13 on-site compliance audits and 116 desktop reviews, and investigated 123 Technical Information Security incidents.
- The MGA coordinated with Malta’s Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) to conduct Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) oversight.
- Charles Mizzi, the CEO of MGA, said the regulator is thoroughly invested in the people and systems governing the gambling sector, reiterating the agency’s commitment to maintain Malta’s status as a Tier-1 gaming regulator.
The Annual Report at a Glance
According to the 2024 Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements, the MGA made several strides to maintain regulatory oversight during the year. The top organisation received 28 new iGaming licensing applications, of which it approved 17. Additionally, 12 existing operators requested licence renewal. The MGA has granted eight applications so far.
Coming to the “Low risk” gambling category, the MGA issued 19 licences for non-profit lotteries and 1,812 licences for non-profit tombola events. The Malta Gaming Authority also issued 84 single-event certificates for commercial communication games. In terms of regulatory enforcement, the MGA received nearly 1,200 assessment applications for legality checks across various gambling verticals.
In 2024, the MGA’s Supervisory Committee reviewed 30 licensing applications from operators seeking to start an online casino business as well as renewal requests. The regulator rejected two applications for providing inaccurate or incomplete information via Minded Letters, a formal communication from the MGA informing licensees about its decision to cancel, refuse, or suspend an existing licence or new application.
Compliance remained the regulator’s top concern in 2024. It concluded 13 on-site compliance audits and 116 desktop reviews, and was notified of an additional 123 Technical Information Security incidents by current licence holders. The Commercial Communications Committee issued seven warnings to licensees for breaching established advertising protocols.
The MGA issued 35 warnings and 25 penalties amounting to €306,250. Additionally, the regulator supervised three settlements, worth €61,522 in total. It also suspended two operators and banned eight others for failing to comply with established regulations. The Fit and Proper Committee made 64 decisions, of which 16 operators were found unfit to continue operating.
AML/CFT Oversight Takes Precedence
The MGA, in association with Malta’s Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU), conducted Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) oversight to prevent illegal operations. The organisation initiated 43 AML/CFT investigations and completed 60 evaluations by the end of the year.
11 licensees received closure letters, indicating minor findings and resolved issues. The FIAU penalised six licensees for failing to comply with AML/CFT legislation. The fine amounted to €185,000 in total. The MGA also interviewed 37 prospective Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLROs) to ensure they met Maltese enforcement standards.
The MGA also enforced player protection and responsible gambling protocols. The efforts include addressing 3,372 player assistance requests, some of which were from 2023. The watchdog examined 40 licensees for responsible gambling compliance and issued 27 corrective letters detailing necessary corrections.
In the digital information sector, the MGA examined 83 cases of misleading gambling commercials, serving public notices to 29 operators. Enforcement officers carried out 9,000 inspections at land-based gambling venues, including casinos, commercial bingo halls, National Lottery vendors, regulated gaming venues, and non-profit tombola events.
The regulator received 244 suspicious betting reports from licence holders and circulated 247 red alerts about suspicious betting activity. It coordinated with international investigative agencies on 30 cases and processed 31 requests for assistance from other regulatory bodies, enforcement agencies, and sports integrity authorities.
Furthermore, the MGA made 39 data exchange collaborations in 2024. Other instances of international coordination include 85 requests from foreign regulators, primarily over background checks and general cooperation. The watchdog sent 59 official responses and 30 outbound cooperation requests during the period.