Malta Prepares a New Unifying Gambling Act

The Maltese Government is seeking to complete a serious overhaul of its gambling legal acts. The goal for this year is for Parliament of Malta and Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) to find common ground and create a single gambling bill that would unify all of the independent gambling legislation in the small island nation. At the present moment, technical directives, legislation and other guidelines are the subject of ongoing consultations between the responsible bodies.

According to the newly suggested legislation, the current multi-license system would be abandoned in favor of a new configuration that holds B2C and B2B licenses that would “cover various activities across multiple distribution channels.” Holders of the B2B licenses would be relieved of paying gaming taxes, which should attract more potential operators.

This new Act would also give more power to MGA as their area of jurisdiction would be expanded. The aim – “to better achieve regulatory objectives.” Operators will also face new obligations concerning sports betting and suspicious betting monitoring – an obligation that will be in accordance with novelty processes for criminal justice under new law.

Parliament Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation, Silvio Schembri, is the author of the proposed motion. He claims that the bill would be an important step forward towards streamlining the governance of gaming services in Malta and under jurisdiction of the MGA, and added: “The Government wants to ensure that the gaming industry continues to be run responsibly, fairly and free from criminal activity, so that the Maltese jurisdiction provides a safe and well regulated environment where the industry can also develop and innovate.”

MGA’s executive chairman, Joseph Cuschieri, comments: “This is an important milestone and we welcome this major step forward by the Maltese Government. This Bill contains draft proposals that aim to bridge the regulatory gap between various gaming verticals and channels, including new technologies serving as a platform to future proof gaming regulation, whilst ensuring that consumers enjoy a consistent level of protection.”