A few weeks ago the Maltese Gambling Authority published its annual report for 2021. The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) regulates all gambling and games of chance in the country. Besides the land-based gambling it also regulates the online gambling sector which plays an important role in Malta. But what were the results of the annual report of the Malta Gaming Authority?

No other Gambling Authority in Europe is as famous and important as the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). The MGA is responsible for overseeing all gambling and games of chance in the country. This also includes the hundreds of online casinos which hold an MGA licence. In mid-September the authority published its annual report for the year 2021. The report which had been awaited in eager is available in English and can be accessed online here.

Land-based gambling is back in focus

Malta’s gambling authority had for a long time mainly focused on the monitoring of the online gambling sector. No wonder: The online gambling sector generated around 12 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Corona pandemic had also contributed to the fact that the land-based gambling sector did not require strict monitoring in 2020, since most gambling halls and casinos were anyway closed.

The MGA carried a total of 3908 inspections in land-based gambling venues in 2021. As a comparison: In the year 2020 there were “only” 3544 inspections because of Corona. In the previous year there were over 5100 inspections, which is significantly more.

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is the official gambling authority of the EU state Malta. Previously the authority carried the name of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA). It was one of the first authorities worldwide which also monitors and regulates the online gambling sectors. One of the main duties of the MAG is to ensure transparency and fairness in the different gambling forms. Besides this, minors and gambling addicts should be protected in the best possible way.

Gambling Authority revokes the licence of seven gambling firms

According to the recently published annual report the MAG had revoked the gambling licence of seven gambling firms. For example, in September of last year we had reported that Evobet had lost its MGA licence.

Whilst in 2021 the MAG revoked only 7 licences, 14 licences had been revoked in the previous year, thus twice as much. Malta’s gambling authority had given more warnings (64) in the previous business year than in 2019 (20).

The MAG had created quite a stir in 2021 when it announced that the minimum payout quota for casino games was decreased in June 2021. As the supervisory authority had announced at the time, the minimum pay-out quota was decreased from the previous rate of 92 % to 85 %.

Conclusion

Malta’s gambling authority has in the past year revoked less licences than in 2020. However, the supervisory authority had issued more warnings and it was once again more involved in supervising land-based gambling halls. The Malta Gaming Authority is targeting that the intensive efforts which are currently being made will further intensify and regulate gambling in Malta.

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