Types of Licenses
The MGA describes two licence categories for businesses offering games of chance or controlled skill games:
- A Gaming Service License permits an online or land-based casino to provide gambling services.
- A Critical Gaming Supply License is for business-to-business suppliers, authorizing eligible companies to provide products or software to Gaming Service License holders.
Areas of Focus
The MGA’s mission includes promoting a fair and transparent gaming sector in Malta, guarding against crime and corruption, and protecting minors and vulnerable players. One stated measure is requiring casinos to ensure players are at least 18 years of age.
The authority also addresses gambling-related harm. Its requirements include a link through which people can seek help, as well as options for players to set limits or exclude themselves. Online casinos are required to make these tools available under the account of MGA rules.
Safeguarding player money is another area of oversight. Casinos are required to submit monthly reports, including comparisons between player balances and the balances of bank accounts holding player funds. Those funds are to remain in a separate account from the operator’s money and must not be mixed with operating funds.
Software Testing and Licensing
Games and related software are subject to testing for fairness and accuracy. The MGA accepts testing only from agencies it has approved in advance. When software or game rules change, the provider must seek recertification from the authority, so licensing may involve continuing review rather than a single approval.
How to Achieve Licensing
Operators seeking a licence are directed to the MGA’s official website, where applications are submitted through the Licensee Relationship Management System (LRMS).
The Financial Directorate first checks that the required fees have been paid, then sends the application to the Regulatory Directorate for review. The regulator may request further documents. Before a successful applicant receives a licence, the platform must pay the applicable licensing fees, gaming taxes and compliance contribution fees.
The MGA says applicants can follow their application status in the LRMS. The authority’s Licensee Register also lets the public search for operators and check their licensing status.
Conclusion
The MGA oversees online gambling operators under its own regulatory framework, with stated responsibilities that include player protection and supervision of software and casinos. The source review characterizes MGA certification as a sign of rigorous vetting and describes oversight as near constant. Those claims do not establish that a particular platform is safe or authorized to serve players in Canada. A Malta licence alone does not show whether an operator is permitted in a Canadian province or territory.
