The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has published its Annual Report and audited Financial Statements for the financial year ending 31 December 2025. The report outlines the performance of Malta’s land-based and online gaming sectors during the year, while detailing the Authority’s key regulatory activities and developments. It also provides a forward-looking perspective on the gaming industry, examining emerging trends, regulatory shifts and market dynamics expected to shape the sector in the years ahead.

Key Highlights from 2025

Authorisation Activities

• Between January and December 2025, MGA received 38 applications for new gaming licences and issued 19 licences. In addition, the Authority received a further 10 gaming licence renewal applications from operators to renew their gaming licence which was bound to expire during the twelve-month period of 2025 and issued eight licence renewals.

• As part of the oversight of low-risk gaming activities, MGA issued 2043 permits for non-profit tombola, 22 permits for non-profit lottery and 118 certificates for commercial communication games.

• As part of MGA’s application assessment process, the Authority carried out 1266 due diligence screening checks on authorised persons, persons holding qualifying interest, directors, key persons, and any third-parties providing funding or otherwise exercising control over an authorised person from both the land-based and online gaming sectors.

• Applications of a more complex nature were escalated to the Fit and Proper Committee. It assessed findings relating to 20 entities and 38 individuals. In seven cases, the Committee determined that the criteria to be considered as fit and proper were not satisfied.

• The Supervisory Council considered gaming licence applications referred to it for review, including applications for new licences and licence renewals. These figures reflect the Council’s decisions on applications during the reporting period and therefore may differ from the number of licences ultimately issued during the same period. During 2025, 17 new gaming licence applications were approved, while two applications were rejected following the completion of the “Minded Letter” process, on the grounds that the information or submission made to the Authority was found to be false, misleading, inaccurate, or materially incomplete. In addition, 10 gaming licence renewal applications were reviewed and approved.

Supervisory Activities

• In 2025, MGA concluded 15 full-scope compliance audits, which were complemented by 109 thematic reviews across compliance, player protection, and sport betting integrity.

• As part of MGA’s efforts to safeguard players and promote responsible gambling, the Authority resolved a total of 3718 requests for assistance, including cases carried forward from 2024.

• Between January and December 2025, MGA received 1757 player funds reports and carried out 14 data extractions to support the safeguarding of player funds.

• As MGA continued to strengthen its efforts to identify unauthorised URLs linked to unregulated gaming activity, the Authority reviewed a total of 109 URLs, and 42 were found to contain fraudulent references to the Authority or its licensees. These were subsequently added to the publicly available list on MGA’s website.

• The Commercial Communications Committee made six decisions regarding possible breaches of the Gaming Commercial Communications Regulations.

• During 2025, 21 AML/CFT compliance examinations were initiated by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) or by MGA on its behalf, while 21 such compliance examinations were concluded.

• A total of 30 closure letters were issued to licensees to either formally conclude examinations carried out by the MGA or the FIAU, or to formally conclude the remediation process where findings were not deemed serious or systemic. Additionally, MGA have also issued two potential breaches letters as a formal notification to licensees of potential non-compliance with AML/CFT obligations, where further clarification, explanation, or remediation was required before these could be treated as confirmed breaches.

• The FIAU imposed a remediation measure and/or administrative penalty amounting to just under €26,500.

• MGA also conducted 29 interviews on prospective MLROs to ensure that candidates meet the required standards of knowledge and awareness of the Maltese AML/CFT legal framework.

• During the reporting period, MGA carried out a total of 7903 inspections on Gaming Premises (including Casinos and Commercial Bingo Halls), Controlled Gaming Premises, National Lottery Outlets (including National Lottery Outlets – Controlled Gaming Premises), and Non-Profit Tombola.

Enforcement Actions

• Between January and December 2025, MGA issued a total of 35 cease and desist letters, 22 warnings and 30 administrative penalties amounting to €162,520. The Authority also suspended one licence and cancelled two.

• During 2025, one appeal was lodged, which remains pending, while eight appeals lodged in previous years were withdrawn.

National and International Cooperation

• Between January and December 2025, MGA received 280 suspicious betting reports from licensees. As part of its continued efforts to fight against match-fixing and malicious betting, MGA shared 192 alerts on suspicious betting with licensees, following enhanced risk-based filtering, and participated in 66 investigations across the globe.

• The MGA also collaborated with enforcement agencies, sports governing bodies, integrity units, and other regulatory authorities on 56 requests for information and participated in 85 instances of data exchanges.

• The MGA received 66 requests for international collaboration from other regulators, and it sent 12 requests. These requests received were primarily related to generic requests for cooperation or requests for background checks as part of authorisations process.

• The MGA issued 58 official replies to provide feedback on the regulatory good standing of its licensed operators to other regulatory and industry stakeholders requesting this information.

• During the reporting period, MGA collaborated with local regulating authorities and governing bodies on 200 requests for information.

“The challenge facing regulators today is not to regulate more, but to regulate better,” CEO Charles Mizzi said.

“Throughout 2025, we refined the way we regulate – strengthening our risk-based approach to oversight, improving engagement, streamlining processes, and making better use of data and technology to focus our efforts where they matter most. That is how we strengthen confidence in the Maltese licence, safeguard players, and support the long-term sustainability of Malta’s gaming sector.”

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