Malta: Malta Gaming Authority

Regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Licensed operators in Malta.

What MGA stands for

MGA stands for the Malta Gaming Authority. The Authority publishes in English and uses that name on its own site.

It is the single regulator for gaming in Malta and licenses both remote and land-based gaming under the Gaming Act, Chapter 583.

What the regulator licenses

The Authority issues B2C gaming service licences and B2B critical gaming supply licences.

Type 1 covers games of chance played against the house, such as slots and table games. Type 2 covers fixed-odds betting. Type 3 covers games where the operator takes a commission, such as poker and betting exchanges. Type 4 covers controlled skill games.

It also licenses land-based casinos, gaming parlours, the national lottery and commercial bingo in Malta.

How to check a licence on the register

The register is the Licensee Register in the Licensee Hub on the Malta Gaming Authority website. The link is in the sources below.

Search by company name, brand name, licence number or URL. Brands are listed under the licensed company, so search the brand if you do not know the corporate name.

A result tells you the licensed company, the licence number, the licence type, the status and the approved URLs. A brand that does not appear against a licence is not covered by an MGA licence.

Licence number format

There is no single MGA format. Since the 2018 Gaming Act the MGA issues B2C and B2B authorisations, for example MGA/B2C/767/2019, while older authorisations are still identified by a CRP number such as MGA/CRP/217/2012, which is Casumo in our operator data.

Both formats appear in the MGA register and in the MGA enforcement notices, so a CRP number is not an out of date number.

The number is held by the licensed company rather than the brand, so all brands run by that company quote the same number. Always match on the legal entity name in the register.

Complaint route

Casino deadline: Ten days to tell you the outcome.

Where to escalate next: MGA Player Support Unit, or the registered ADR entity named in the terms.

ADR decisions bind both sides and the operator has twenty days to comply.

The MGA Player Support Unit reviews player complaints against MGA licensees after the operator has been given its chance to reply.

MGA at a glance

ItemDetailPublished by the regulatorNotes
AcronymMalta Gaming AuthorityYesSingle regulator for gaming in Malta
RegisterLicensee RegisterYesSearchable by company, brand or URL
Licence number formatMGA/CRP/217/2012YesMGA/CRP/nnn/yyyy
Rules on player disputesYes, via Player Support and ADRYesADR decisions bind both sides

Frequently asked questions

What does MGA stand for?

MGA stands for the Malta Gaming Authority. It licenses remote and land-based gaming in Malta under the Gaming Act, Chapter 583.

What does an MGA licence number look like?

It follows MGA/CRP/nnn/yyyy. Casumo holds MGA/CRP/217/2012. The number belongs to the licensed company, so several brands can share it.

Can the MGA make an operator pay me?

The Player Support Unit reviews the complaint and the registered ADR entity issues a decision that binds both sides. The operator has twenty days to comply.

Sources