MGA publishes H1 2024 Industry Performance Report
The Malta Gaming Authority has published its Interim Performance Report for January to June 2024. The report provides an overview of the Authority’s activities, the Maltese gaming industry and medium term outlook. It also highlights supervisory measures, licensing updates and player protection.
Licensing and Supervision
In H1 2024 the MGA carried out 611 criminal probity screenings on individuals, shareholders and companies involved in land based and online gaming. Applications requiring further scrutiny were reviewed by the Fit and Proper Committee which issued 29 decisions, 7 of which were rejected as the applicants did not meet the criteria.
The Supervisory Council reviewed 15 gaming licence applications, 2 of which were rejected due to incomplete or misleading submissions. In the period the MGA received 11 new gaming licence applications and issued 8, and 4 licence renewals from 7 renewal applications.
Compliance efforts included 11 audits, 49 desktop reviews and 16 technical incident investigations lodged by licence holders. The MGA issued 20 warnings, 10 administrative penalties and 8 licence cancellations. Regulatory settlements and penalties for the period exceeded €190,000.
Anti-Money Laundering and Player Protection
To further strengthen anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) the MGA conducted 13 compliance examinations and concluded 23. 19 prospective Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLROs) were interviewed to ensure they met the required standards. Penalties of almost €185,000 were imposed on 3 licence holders for AML/CFT breaches.
On player protection the MGA assisted 1,625 players who requested help and performed 962 player fund reviews. The Authority also investigated 10 cases of misleading website information and conducted responsible gambling assessments, issued 7 observation letters to licence holders to improve.
Sports Integrity and International Cooperation
The MGA’s match manipulation efforts resulted in 162 suspicious betting reports and 143 alerts to licence holders. The Authority worked on 11 investigations and replied to 69 requests from local regulators and 35 from international bodies.
Additionally the MGA participated in 23 data exchanges and issued 28 official replies to confirm the regulatory status of licensed operators.
The MGA’s activity in H1 2024 demonstrates the Authority’s continued commitment to high standards of regulation, player protection and industry integrity. A full report will be published in second half 2025 as part of the MGA’s 2024 Annual Report.
