Malta Gaming Authority | Licenses, Player Protections, and Appeal Process

Interested in learning more about the brands licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority? We’ve put together a complete list of MGA permit holders and highlighted the sites that are best known in Canada, making it easier to explore the market with trust and familiarity in mind.

• Betway Limited: Betway
• Hillside (Sports) ENC: bet365
• LeoVegas Gaming plc: LeoVegas
• Kserol P.L.C.: Unibet
• TSG Interactive Gaming Europe Limited: PokerStars, PokerStars Sports, PokerStars Casino
• GGN Europe Ltd: GGPoker
• Mr Green Limited: Mr Green
• Kaizen Gaming International Limited: Betano
• Merkur Bets Malta Limited: Merkur Bets, Cashpoint
• BML Group Limited: Jackpot247, SuperCasino, LiveRoulette
• 888 (Ireland) Ltd: 888casino, 888sport, 888poker
• Greenvest Betting Limited: neo.bet
• Co-Gaming Limited: ComeOn!
• Shark77 Limited: Titanplay

The MGA’s player protection framework is broader than just giving operators a licence. Its rules require operators to be transparent about their status, make responsible gaming tools visible, maintain complaint procedures, and offer a route to ADR when internal support does not resolve a dispute.

On the responsible gaming side, MGA-licensed operators must let players set deposit limits and wagering limits, and may also offer loss limits and time or session limits. Players must be asked about setting core limits after registration and before the first deposit, and those tools must remain accessible afterwards.

The framework also includes self-exclusion protections. Operators must make self-exclusion simple to use and effective without delay, and they are barred from trying to encourage a self-excluded player to continue gambling. Where a player is excluded because of indicators of a gambling problem, that exclusion must extend across all brands run by the same licensee, even if separate registrations are used.

On player funds, the MGA says licensed operators must hold enough money to cover player and jackpot funds, with at least 90% of the required amount continuously held with EU/EEA-licensed credit, financial, or payment institutions. The Authority also reviews player-funds reporting and can use data extraction when a licence is surrendered or cancelled so it can identify players who are still owed money.

There are also protections for minors and withdrawals. MGA rules require operators to have policies to prevent minors from using their gaming services, and if a minor gets through those checks, the operator must stop further play, return the minor to their prior position by refunding stakes, and confiscate winnings. Separately, when a player asks to withdraw funds, the licensee must remit them no later than five working days, if practicable, although operators may take reasonable time for identity and security checks.

Yes. Players can contact the Authority directly through its complaint channel and general contact points. The MGA publishes a complaint form for issues involving MGA-licensed operators and lists its public contact details, including its SmartCity Malta address and general telephone number.

The MGA expects players to first try to resolve the issue directly with the operator. Its complaint guidance says it is strongly recommended that players actively seek a resolution with the operator’s support and management before escalating the case to the Authority.

MGA-licensed operators must also publish a complaint procedure for players. Once a complaint is received, the operator must investigate it and inform the player of the result within 10 days, although this can be extended by a further 10 days if more time is needed and the player is told why.

If the player is still unhappy after the operator’s internal process, the matter can be referred either to the MGA’s Player Support Unit or to an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) entity. The MGA says operators must already have an ADR arrangement in place, must identify that ADR body in their complaints process, and the ADR’s conclusions are binding on both sides, though players still retain the right to go to court.