The Malta Gaming Authority: Uncovered

With more and more gambling companies moving online, as well as new online gambling companies springing up at a remarkable rate, the small European island of Malta has become a hub for gambling companies, ranging from online casinos to software providers.

Malta is one of the most important locations in the world with regards to online gambling and it was for this purpose that the Malta Gaming Authority was created in order to regulate the industry.

While the Malta Gaming Authority is the main regulatory body for all gaming activities in Malta, it is also considered by many to be the preferred global remote gaming regulator – meaning it in many ways sets the standards for gambling practices across the world.

What is the Malta Gaming Authority?

The primary purpose of the Malta Gaming Authority is to set standards for online gambling companies to adhere to and therefore protect players from being exploited by such companies. The Malta Gaming Authority is a not-for-profit organisation and is responsible for issuing gambling licences to online companies that meet its strict standards.

While some countries, including the UK, have their own version of gambling licences, many other countries rely on the high level of regulation provided by the Malta Gaming Authority in order to protect their own citizens. The Malta Gaming Authority focuses on player interests, gambling businesses and licensing authorities as part of its duties.

How the Organisation Works

The Malta Gaming Authority sets very high standards to online gambling companies, and only issues gambling licences to such companies that meet these standards. While the Malta Gaming Authority only has a small amount of jurisdiction in terms of population and land, many other countries recognise and use the organisation’s licences and gambling guidelines instead of their own for its citizens.

Getting a gambling licence from the Malta Gaming Authority is far from easy, though. Indeed companies wishing to do so must meet a number of criteria, including that they have sufficient finances to fund the business, that they have a clear ownership structure, they are competent enough to provide the services they offer, they work with integrity and have no criminal connections. Should the company in question meet these criteria, they are eligible to obtain at Malta Gaming Authority licence. Any companies that subsequently break the rules and regulations set out by the MGA after getting a licence can have their licence removed.

The Advantages of Playing at a MGA Regulated Casino

One of the main objectives of the Malta Gaming Authority to give players a clear and safe framework on which they can play at casinos and other gambling services online without fear regarding their data, receiving a fair playing experience and protection of their funds. The Malta Gaming Authority also creates operator accountability.

Player Protection

A hugely important factor a player must consider before playing at an online casino is whether their personal and financial data is secure. The Malta Gaming Authority regulates online gambling companies to ensure that they are compliant with the data protection act, and that sensitive player data is completely secure and can’t be misused.

Not only does the MGA check that the online casino in question won’t misuse your data, but they also check whether the company is capable of safeguarding player data against cyber attacks from hackers looking to steal such data. If a company is found to be incompetent of protecting player data, they won’t receive a gambling licence from the Malta Gaming Authority.

Fair Gaming

Providing players with a fair and transparent gaming experience is another area in which the Malta Gaming Authority focuses a lot of its attention. One of the crucial things an online casino operator and its software provider must do in order to provide players with a fair chance on roulette, at blackjack casino sites and video slots, is to determine the result of the gaming using a random number generator (RNG), ensuring that neither the provider nor the casino can tamper with the results.

What’s more, casinos are also required to give a clear indication to players as to their likelihood of them winning on any given game title. The most popular way to do this is with the use of RTP (return to player) rates in the game’s description. The RTP shows what percentage of funds that are spent on the game in question, are returned to the player pool through winnings. Companies need to be transparent with players if they want to earn a gambling licence and be recognised as a trustworthy operator and be considered, for example, as one of the safe roulette casinos.

Player Funds Separated

Another hugely important area that the Malta Gaming Authority explores in an online casino before granting a gambling licence, is that the company completely separates its player funds from the rest of its operating funds. The importance of this can’t be underestimated, as should an online casino go bankrupt, this ensures that players won’t lose the money in their accounts – instead it will just be the business assets that are lost. The Malta Gaming Authority takes separated player funds very seriously, and failure for a licenced online casino to do so is a serious breach of regulation.

Operator Accountability

One of the main purposes of the Malta Gaming Authority is to ensure that online gambling operators are accountable for their actions, and that irresponsible or illegal behaviour will be punished. This accountability provides a lot of security to players online, as, without it, they would be subject to the whims and wishes of the operators, with few ways of protecting their rights.

Operator accountability means that players are able to report any online casino operators that they feel have breached their terms and conditions and are not following the gambling regulations as set out by the Malta Gambling Authority. This player power is priceless to ensuring online casino operators provide a fair and responsible gaming experience to all.

How to Find out if a Casino is Regulated by the MGA

To check whether an online casino has a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority, you can either check their information on the MGA website read our casino reviews such as our PokerStars review, where we have dissected every online venue including the best online casinos Malta residents can join we come across to ensure that is safe and not a scam.

If you want to check a gambling licence yourself, you can visit the search registry on the Malta Gaming Authority website. To search for a particular company, you can do so by entering the company name – or even easier by entering the URL of the company. If you can’t find the company in question, they may well be a scam and not have a gambling licence from the MGA – in which case you should not hand over details to them and instantly report them to the Malta Gaming Authority who will investigate the site if they are claiming to have an MGA licence but don’t. Some scam casinos list fake logos and gambling licences in order to trick players into thinking there are legitimate. However, the true test of whether a casino has an MGA licence is by check the search registry tool on the MGA website.

Issues You Can Raise

If you feel like you have been mistreated by an online casino operator, you can consult the Malta Gaming Authority in order to work out how to best proceed with a complaint. Players may have a complaint for any number of reasons, with the most common ones surrounding winning disputes, prize amount disputes, payment problems, ID verifications issues, misrepresentation of bonus offers, IT issues, account closure, the terms and conditions of a company, as well as customer support problems and, most typically, the voiding of bets by operators. You can find lots of advice regarding casino operator problems, and if you believe you have a valid complaint, you can contact the casino to resolve the issue, and, failing that, via the Malta Gaming Authority.

How to Complain

If you wish to make a complaint regarding an online casino operator that is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, you can submit an official complaint to the MGA via their online gaming support form online. However, it’s always best to try and resolve the issue with the casino in question directly first by getting in touch with their customer support team. You should only consider contacting the MGA if this first option has failed.

The History of the Malta Gaming Authority

The Malta Gaming Authority was formed in 2001, as part of the Malta’s The Lotteries and Other Games Act, which set out to regulate the various sectors on the gaming industry to ensure a fair and transparent experience to players and protecting vulnerable individuals, while also preventing crime, corruption and money laundering through gambling.

The Malta Gaming Authority’s aims include protecting young and vulnerable people, protecting the rights of players, promoting responsible gaming, ensuring a integrity in games and service and also ensuring that the industry is free from criminal activities.

Conclusion

This guide to the Malta Gaming Authority has looked at the role of the MGA since its creation in 2001, and its responsibility in the world of online gambling today. The Malta Gaming Authority aims to provide players with a fair and transparent online playing experience, and one in which corruption players no part.

At Scams.info, we’ve reviewed several MGA-approved casino sites to help protect you online. Most of those, such as Casumo are licensed in both Malta and in the UK. You can also read more about other regulatory bodies in the world of online gaming, including the Gibraltar Gambling Commission and the UK Gambling Commission.