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The MGA Issues Interim Performance Report for January – June 2022

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The Malta Gaming Authority has released its Interim Performance Report for the period between January to June 2022. A review of the Authority’s accomplishments for the first half of 2022 is provided in the report, together with a description of the Maltese gaming industry’s performance over the same period. The latter provides a medium-term outlook towards the future, as well as an analysis outlining important statistics for the land-based and online gaming industries.

Supervisory Activities

  • During this period, 16 compliance audits were conducted together with 114 desktop reviews, accompanied by an additional seven AML/CFT compliance examinations that were initiated by the MGA on behalf of the FIAU. Additionally, the Authority issues a warning, cancelled a licence, as well as suspended another authorised entity, following information which emerged from compliance audits, compliance reviews and formal investigations Furthermore, the MGA issued a total of seven administrative penalties as well as two regulatory settlements, with a collective total financial penalty of €85,000.
  • Enforcement measures were also issued by the FIAU to an additional four licensees, ranging from written reprimands to administrative penalties, with an emphasis on remediation measures, based on the breaches identified during examinations carried out in previous years, including by the MGA. In total, these amounted to just over €386,567.
  • Based primarily on reducing the risk of money laundering or funding terrorism, the Fit & Proper Committee determined that four individuals and entities did not meet the Authority’s fit and properness criteria, while an additional two applications were rejected by the Supervisory Council.
  • A total of 626 criminal probity screening checks were undertaken on personnel, shareholders, ultimate beneficial owners, key individuals, employees, and businesses from the land-based and online gambling sectors.
  • In the first half of the year, 22 interviews with prospective money laundering reporting officers (MLROs) and key persons carrying out the AML/CFT function were carried out, with the aim of determining the knowledge and suitability of each candidate.
  • A total of six letters of breach were issued by the MGA’s Commercial Communications Committee (S.L. 583.09), out of which five operators were deemed to have violated the Commercial Communications Regulations.
  • In its efforts to safeguard players and promote responsible gaming, the Authority assisted a total of 2,578 players who requested assistance, covering the majority of the cases received during 2022 and the spillover from 2021.
  • A total of 22 cases of websites having misleading references to the Authority were investigated, while a total of 13 notices were published on the MGA’s website with the aim of preventing the public from falling victim to such scams. Furthermore, an additional 18 responsible gambling website checks were conducted, and five observation letters were issued.

National and International Cooperation

  • Between January and June 2022, a total of 122 alerts on suspicious betting were sent to the industry. Following correspondence of these alerts, the Suspicious Betting Reporting Mechanism received a total of 16 new suspicious betting reports.
  • Enforcement agencies, sports governing bodies, integrity units, and other regulatory authorities made a total of 23 requests for information, specifically in relation to the manipulation of sporting events or violations of sporting regulations. Subsequently, 10 of these requests resulted in the exchange of data. In addition, 278 allegations of suspicious betting from licensees and other interested parties were received.
  • The Authority participated directly in 12 separate investigations into sports rules violations or manipulation of sporting competitions during the time under review. In addition, the Authority also participated indirectly in another investigation.
  • The Authority sent 64 requests for international cooperation, the majority of which related to requests for background checks as part of an authorisation process. Furthermore, the Authority received a total of 36 requests for international collaboration from other regulators.
  • Up to the end of June 2022, a total of 84 official replies were issued, providing feedback on the regulatory good standing of our licensed operators to the relevant authorities asking for this information.
  • In total, during the first six months of the year, the MGA received just over 100 requests for information from other local regulating authorities and governing bodies.

The MGA will publish a full-year industry performance report during the second half of 2023, when it publishes its Annual Report for the financial year ending 31 December 2022.

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Regulating the Game Names “Prevent” Risk Identification System by Focal as Latest Innovation Selected for 2026 Pitch! Event

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Leading gambling law and regulation conference Regulating the Game (RTG) has announced “Prevent” – a real-time gambling risk identification and safer gambling messaging system developed by Focal – as the latest innovation selected to feature at next year’s Pitch! event.

Part of RTG’s networking schedule taking place alongside the summit itself in Sydney in March, Pitch! – to be held on the evening of 9 March at the Sydney Opera House – is designed to surface solutions that confront real regulatory challenges by strengthening consumer protection, enhancing governance and offering operators practical capability uplift.

Organisers said “Prevent” exemplifies this mission by reframing player protection as a core operational system rather than an ancillary responsibility. Specifically, it advances the identification of risk across the millions of interactions land-based venues experience by using live behavioural data to detect risk early, generate real-time alerts and deliver safer gambling messaging directly to customers.

It is the next evolution of Focal’s award-winning ALeRT Bettor Protection System, bringing faster insights, automated outreach and a more complete picture of customer behaviour.

According to RTG, “Prevent” expands the reach of player protection by identifying emerging risk in real time, monitoring both carded and uncarded play, delivering instant and automated safer gambling messages, supporting venue teams with accurate, consolidated risk information and streamlining compliance reporting and documentation.

“‘Prevent’ is exactly the sort of innovation Pitch! is built to spotlight. We’re looking for solutions that lift capability, that translate research into operational practice and that show what is possible when technology meets real-world regulatory challenges. ‘Prevent’ is pushing safer gambling further upstream – and making it part of mainstream operations,” said Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of RTG.

RTG also revealed its first batch of sponsors for the 2026 event, namely GLI as Gala Dinner Partner and Amazon Web Services as a Silver Sponsor, with support from ebet, CherryHub, Intralot Australia, IGT, Everi, Vanguard Overwatch, Leagues Clubs Australia and Thomson Geer.

The post Regulating the Game Names “Prevent” Risk Identification System by Focal as Latest Innovation Selected for 2026 Pitch! Event appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Compliance Updates

GAMOMAT Achieves ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification

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GAMOMAT, one of the leading independent German software developers for slot games, has achieved its ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. This marks a major milestone in the company’s ongoing commitment to information security management.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification was awarded by Proks Certification GmbH, an independent certification body accredited by the German Accreditation Body (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle DAkkS). The certification, valid until August 2028, also covers GAMOMAT Distribution GmbH and GAMOMAT RGS Ltd.

This important certification ensures that GAMOMAT has the right framework to process, manage and protect both its own sensitive information and that of its clients and employees. GAMOMAT completed a full audit by ISO consultants as part of the assessment, confirming its procedures meet the required benchmarks.

“Securing our ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification is a testament to our unwavering understanding that data and information security are crucial. This certification demonstrates that our technology is managed responsibly and securely, in line with internationally recognised best practices,” said Paul Schulleri, CTO of GAMOMAT Development GmbH.

The post GAMOMAT Achieves ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Compliance Updates

Expanse Studios Secures Swedish B2B Gaming License

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Expanse Studios, a B2B iGaming content provider and subsidiary of Golden Matrix Group Inc., has been granted a software provider license by Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s national gambling authority, authorizing the company to distribute gaming software to licensed operators in one of Europe’s most mature and regulated iGaming markets.

The license, valid until December 1, 2030, enables Expanse Studios to supply its portfolio of proprietary slot games, crash games, and casino content to Sweden’s licensed B2C operators. This approval positions the company to serve a market that generated approximately €2.4 billion in total gambling revenue in 2024, with online gaming accounting for 64% of total market activity.

Entry into Europe’s Most Regulated Market

Sweden represents one of Europe’s most sophisticated iGaming jurisdictions, with approximately 100 licensed operators serving a population of 10.5 million where internet penetration exceeds 95%. In 2024, the online gambling revenue reached $1.9 billion, reflecting a 5% increase from the previous year.

The Swedish market maintains one of Europe’s highest channelization rates at 85-90%, indicating strong player preference for licensed platforms. Sweden’s regulatory framework, established through the 2019 Gambling Act and overseen by Spelinspektionen, emphasizes technical compliance, responsible gaming, and transparent operations—standards that align with Expanse Studios’ existing operations across 1,300+ casino brands in regulated markets.

“Sweden’s licensing framework sets the gold standard for regulated iGaming markets in Europe,” said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios. “Securing the license approval from the Swedish Authority once again validated our technical capabilities and commitment to responsible gaming in one of the world’s most demanding regulatory environments. This license opens substantial distribution opportunities with established operators serving a highly engaged, tech-savvy player base.”

The Swedish license complements Expanse Studios’ recent European regulatory approvals in Romania and commercial partnerships with operators including AdmiralBet (Novomatic Group) and MerkurXtip (Merkur Group), demonstrating accelerating demand for certified, compliant content across regulated jurisdictions in Europe.

Sweden’s market characteristics—including strong preference for mobile platforms, high consumer spending on digital entertainment, and established payment infrastructure—align well with Expanse Studios’ content portfolio. With 56 proprietary titles including Super Heli, Titan Roulette, and Wild Icy Fruits, the company continues scaling its high-margin B2B operations across Europe, Latin America, and North America.

This license approval reinforces Golden Matrix Group’s strategic focus on expanding regulated B2B operations in jurisdictions with transparent licensing frameworks and very robust player protection standards.

The post Expanse Studios Secures Swedish B2B Gaming License appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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