Gaming Law in Malta

The Maltese gaming sector is one of the most developed industries in the country, especially after new laws have been enabled in order to allow the establishment of online gambling facilities. Malta has one of the most extensive and flexible legal frameworks on gaming in Europe at the moment. Considering the gaming laws are currently still undergoing changes in order to be improved, you can get in touch with our law firm in Malta for detailed information.

Gambling laws in Malta

All gaming operators in Maltaa fall under the supervision of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). The Authority is also the body issuing gaming licenses for all types of operations. The laws governing gaming in Malta can be divided into:

• -          laws regarding lotteries and the National Lottery,
• -          laws related to amusement machines,
• -          laws related to casinos and cruise casinos,
• -          laws on commercial bingo halls,
• -          laws with respect to gambling machines,
• -          laws on non-profit games,
• -          laws on betting, racehorses and sweepstakes,
• -          regulation on remote gambling.

The Gaming Act is the oldest gambling law in Malta and it was enabled in 1998. It was last amended in 2012. In 2004 the Government enabled the Remote Gaming Regulations which takes into account EU Directives with respect to online gambling activities. This also allows Maltese gaming operators to expand their businesses in other EU countries.

Licensing regulation in the new Maltese Remote Gaming Act

The new laws on gaming in Malta has restricted the licensing categories to 4. The new types of gaming licenses issued by the MGA are:

• -          the class 1 license for online casinos, skill games and lotteries,
• -          the class 2 license for betting activities,
• -          the class 3 license for gaming and betting exchanges,
• -          the class 4 license for companies selling gaming software.

Operators are allowed to apply for more than one license, provided they pay the required fees. Licenses are issued for a 5-year period and can be renewed. There are also several requirements related to the operation of the machines, money laundering and protection of players a company must satisfy before receiving a gaming license.

If you want to open a gaming facility and need legal assistance, do not hesitate to contact our attorneys in Malta.