The Malta Gaming Authority released numbers from the first half of 2025 yesterday. The regulator processed 28 new licence applications during the six-month period and approved eight of them.
The Authority also granted 898 permits for non-profit tombola games and eight for non-profit lotteries. Commercial communication games for limited-time events received 75 certificates.
The Fit and Proper Committee made 34 decisions on applicants. Four got rejected, and 723 criminal screenings took place during this time.
Why these figures matter for operator compliance
The Supervisory Council reviewed 16 gaming licence applications. Two contained false or misleading information. That’s a concerning rate for a mature jurisdiction like Malta.
The Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit launched 11 anti-money laundering investigations in just six months. The MGA also resolved 1,720 requests for player assistance and received 891 player funds reports.
Nine data extractions were carried out as part of player protection efforts. These numbers show active regulatory oversight. They also reveal ongoing compliance issues operators need to address.
What enforcement actions the MGA took
The regulator issued 23 cease and desist letters to operators during the period. Fifteen warnings went out as well.
Administrative penalties hit 23 operators for a combined €139,360. One licence got cancelled entirely. That operator won’t be returning to the market.
On illegal gambling, the MGA reviewed 755 URLs. Thirty-four websites falsely claimed to hold MGA licenses or licenses from other jurisdictions.
The Authority inspected 4,198 gaming premises throughout the six months. That’s roughly 27 inspections per day across Malta’s licensed venues.
How international cooperation shapes enforcement
The MGA received 149 suspicious betting reports from its licensees. It sent 88 alerts back to those operators about potential issues they’d identified.
Other regulators reached out 29 times for help. The MGA contacted foreign authorities four times. But most of these were routine cooperation requests or background checks for license applications, according to the Authority.
The full annual report won’t arrive until the second half of 2026. That’s when more detailed analysis of these trends will become available.
Malta’s gaming sector continues to face scrutiny on AML compliance. The relatively high number of investigations in just six months suggests problems persist despite years of regulatory focus on this issue.
These interim figures suggest the regulator isn’t easing up on oversight or enforcement. Operators working in the jurisdiction should expect this level of regulatory activity to continue through the rest of the year.
