Malta Gaming Authority exposed

Due to the tax advantages that Malta offers to companies (as it happens in other places such as Gibraltar or the Isle of Man) the number of casinos based on the island has led to the appearance of the Malta Gaming Authority (Malta Gaming Authority or MGA in English).

Malta is a member state of the dollarpea union with very particular legal characteristics, which enjoys a stable government and a reliable economic system. These are the data of the institution responsible for regulating gambling on the island:

To find out if an online casino has been verified by the MGA you just have to check its data in its public registry. You can also submit your complaints to him. Here's how.

What is the Malta Gaming Authority

Its objective is: “To competently regulate the various sectors of the gaming industry, ensuring that the game is fair and transparent for players, preventing crime, corruption and money laundering and protecting minor and vulnerable players.”

How the organization works

The Malta Gaming Authority was created in 2001 from the Lotteries and Other Games Act, in order to regulate the activity of the gambling trade outside physical casinos. It emerged in parallel with the development of the online game, and is currently governed by the Gaming Devices Regulations of 2011.

Its areas of activity are remote gambling, advertising, arcade machines, casinos, bingos, cruise ship casinos, and in short all areas of online gambling. It grants licenses for four types of gambling: casino games, lotteries and slots; sports betting; card games, tournaments, bingo... (P2P) licenses for gambling software vendors who charge commission per bet.

On its page you will find the legal conditions required for the granting of licenses, the forms and requirements to obtain them and a list of all those that have been granted (MGA Licensee Register).

Advantages of playing at casinos regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority

You don't have to risk being scammed by playing without guarantees. When you play on sites with licenses granted by competent authorities you avoid fraud and also have the rNew Zealand government institutions, in case any problem arises.

In the next few paragraphs we will look at how the Malta Gaming Authority protects players, ensures the functioning of games and the responsibilities it demands from operators.

Player protection

Among the main objectives of the Malta Gaming Authority is to safeguard the rights of players and protect minors and vulnerable people. To this end, the MGA is dedicated to promoting responsible gambling and in safe environments, requiring operators to take the necessary measures to ensure that these circumstances occur.

That is why when you access a casino licensed by the Malta Gaming Commission you are required to identify yourself and be of legal age to access. Likewise, your data is checked against the lists of people included in the self-exclusion lists.

The identity verification tests that, for example, are required of the members of an online casino before cashing out are directed in the same direction: it is simply that the casino is not going to give your money to someone else.

Regarding secure environments, first of all casinos have to always preserve your privacy, and also they must offer reliable payment and withdrawal gateways, inaccessible to malicious third parties. No one can have access to your personal and banking data unless you explicitly authorize it.

Fair play

Fair gaming involves ensuring the integrity of games and gaming devices, in addition to keeping online casinos free from criminal activities derived from fraud or money laundering.

That said, it may sound very idyllic, but the truth is that the Malta Gaming Authority fulfills these objectives precisely in practice. How does he do it? First of all, verifying that the systems corresponding to the four sectors of the aforementioned online game are not rigged and really work with random combination generators.

Random generators are the algorithm that makes a game of chance completely dependent on luck. If this part of the software fails, is vulnerable or incurs any errors, the game is considered to be a scam. The responsibilities of the MGA do not include software certification, something that the DGOJ does, for example.

This affects the software of all online casino games, with particular attention to the blackjack , slot , and roulette auto.

Protecting customer funds

Where does your money go when you deposit into a casino account? That's exactly what the Malta Gaming Authority controls, making sure that your balance is available while you play, or when you want to get it back.

On the other hand, as a member of the Dollarpea Union, Malta is part of MONEYVAL , an international committee against money laundering and terrorist financing sources.

The MGA actively works against this type of crime by requiring operators to provide documentation in this regard from their directors and shareholders, as well as anyone involved in conducting gambling operations in and from Malta.

All payments over $2,330 received or issued by a licensed online casino in Malta must be notified to the Gaming Authority. Likewise, operators are required to submit a dossier with the management procedures that their company will follow in case of fraud and another on the payment management procedures.

In addition to these measures, the MGA carries out real-time online activity monitoring of operators, in order to intercept any suspicious gambling activity.

Operator responsibilities

One of the biggest advantages of playing at licensed online casinos is that in case a problem arises you always have the advantage of filing a complaint with the authority that has granted that license. They will be responsible for enforcing the operator with his responsibilities.

Among the main responsibilities of the operator are: complying with licensing regulations, ensuring the privacy of players and the custody of their personal and financial data or that their funds are protected by a bank guarantee.

Advertising is another of the main responsibilities of operators regulated by the MGA. Legal requirements require that it be transparent and contain all the necessary information to be understood by anyone.

In addition, among the charges derived from obtaining a license, the MGA includes the payment of fees and taxes for both the opening and maintenance of the activity. The economic requirements are also to present a guarantee before being able to start practicing. This is intended to guarantee players that they will recover their funds in the event that the operator becomes insolvent.

How to know if a casino is regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority

In our articles we only review casinos licensed in New Zealand, and that meet all legal requirements. As in the case of the Directorate General of Gambling New Zealand or the Gambling Commission in the United Kingdom, the MGA also has an open registry of licensed operators in Malta.

To find out if an online casino has a license from the MGA you can search for it in the registry through its business name, the status of its license (expired, active, canceled...), the type of operator or even directly from its URL.

Does the MGA logo appear in the casino credits, but you can't locate it by any means in the archive? Keep in mind that anyone can paste the logo image on their page, even if they don't have a license. If this happens, you can call by phone or write a message to the MGA.

When problems arise

Disagreements between traders and players affect many facets: from forced closure (or the inability to close an account) to self-serving interpretations of bonus rules or offers. When something like this happens, players usually go first to the casino's FAQ section, and then to the customer support services.

But what if after all this process you have not managed to get them to listen to you or you are not satisfied with the resolution offered by the operator? If you play at a casino regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority, you can file a claim so that the institution requires the operator to fulfill its responsibilities.

That's why since Estafa.Info we insist so much that you always play in licensed casinos. Although in our country the one who grants the licenses is the DGOJ, knowing that the casino in which you play has also been verified by other government institutions is a plus of reliability.

How to report a problem

The Malta Gaming Authority is prepared to receive complaints, grievances and complaints in three ways, in addition to face-to-face during office hours: by phone, by e-mail and with an electronic form. The first two are for queries only, and the last one for formally process your request .

The procedure is as follows: first of all you must always contact the casino's customer service. Only if there has been no response from them after a sufficient waiting period, or if you cannot reach an agreement with the operator, you must submit the complaint form. After being required by the MGA, the operator has 21 days to respond.

In principle, complaints filed with the MGA are anonymous, but depending on the nature of the facts, you may be asked to identify yourself. In any case, all the information you attach with your claim will be treated in the strictest confidence.

The History of the Malta Gaming Authority

The Malta Gaming Authority (Malta Gaming Authority) is a public institution under the Government of Malta, which has been operating since 2001 and is responsible for regulating all forms of gambling with the exception of gambling in traditional casinos.

Its objectives are aimed at both players and game operators. For the former it serves as a guarantee of protection against abuse, and for the latter it provides the necessary information and tools to obtain licenses.

Its activities include conducting research on various aspects of the game and the granting of licenses to ensure that the requirements are met once they are issued. Given the idiosyncrasy of the island, the MGA also tries to make sure that the gaming sector really contributes to the development of the country. The institution's code of ethics focuses on transparency, respect for human treatment, innovation, neutrality and getting the tools for development strategies in the future.

Since it works with a huge portfolio of registered operators, it is considered one of the world's leading institutions in terms of online gambling regulation. This endows it with enormous prestige and its licenses are seen internationally as a guarantee of trust.

Finding

The MGA is currently a world reference in terms of online gambling legislation. Many of the licensed New Zealand casinos are based in Malta, so they are subject to its jurisdiction, in addition to that of the DGOJ. Although it may be easier for you to exercise your rights with the latter, be sure to collect as much information as possible about your gaming operators.

As always since Estafa.Info we say goodbye wishing that the information in this article was useful and interesting to you. And remember that in our list of casinos recomenVegas Palms we include only operators licensed in New Zealand and who also have the best bonuses and games.

If you want to know more about the online gambling regulatory bodies in New Zealand and other countries, be sure to take a look at our articles about the UK Gambling Commission or the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority.