Malta Gaming License

The Republic of Malta comprises of island archipelago in the central Mediterranean Sea. Only two of those islands, Malta and Gozo are permanently inhabited. The main languages spoken on the islands are English and Maltese. The country is a member of the European Union, making accession to the block on the 1st of May 2004. Malta has adopted Euro but the island’s original currency was the Maltese Lira.

Since becoming a member of the European Union it was necessary for Malta to find its competitive niche for conducting business among the international community. iGaming business was identified as a sector having solid growth potential. Due to the remote nature of interactive gambling, flexible regulatory framework and attractive tax regime bear more importance than the exact location of operations. This was one of the main reasons Malta was selected for setting up headquarters and obtaining online gaming licenses in Malta by many leading gambling companies. This led to Malta becoming home to lots of people from the EU and beyond, getting transferred to the island as part of gaming operators’ staff. That brought Malta a truly global, multi-lingual workforce. This created an additional attraction for more gambling firms to set up offices in Malta due to the presence of multi-lingual customer support to be hired for serving international customers.

Malta became one of the undisputed leading countries in the field of iGaming. There are currently almost 500 Malta remote gaming licenses issued by Malta Gaming Authority. At present many of the leading operators transferred the bulk of their operations to Malta. Since 2004, the online gaming sector in Malta has shown massive growth currently presenting around 12% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Malta’s Flexible Regulatory framework for interactive wagering

Most types of interactive wagering can be offered from Malta, including:

Online Casinos

Sports Books

Betting Exchanges

Poker rooms

lotteries

and more

Remote Gaming

This flexible regulatory framework served as an additional driver that attracted many leading iGaming companies to do business in Malta. The country regulates remote gaming on a point-of-purchase basis, positioning itself as global iGaming jurisdiction. The country has set up measures to prevent Malta-licensed online gaming businesses from offering services to underage and problem gamblers. Obtaining a Malta casino or betting license is relatively inexpensive and time efficient if the applicant company is well prepared. The license fees are transparent and publicized on the MGA website along with a list of licensed entities. Many financial service institutions are available in Malta to support remote gambling operators.

How to get a gaming License in Malta

The principal question for many iGaming market entrants is how to get a gaming license in Malta. Firstly, it needs to be determined which of the four Classes of Malta gaming license is suitable for the planned operation:

Class 1

In order to launch online casinos, the company would apply for Class 1
Class 2

is for remote sports betting, while
Class 3

is for Player-to-Player type of wagering, including poker rooms and betting exchanges.
Class 4

license is available to companies seeking to host and manage remote gaming operators without offering services to players.

There are Remote Gaming Regulations providing guidance for prospective applicants seeking to obtain a gambling license. A company in Malta has to be established and there is a rigorous ‘fit and proper persons’ test in order to provide identification as to who owns the business. Gaming license applicants should demonstrate the financial and technical ability to carry out gaming operations in compliance with Malta laws and regulations.

There should also be a paid-up capital of 40 or 100 thousand euros depending on the license class to ensure the solvency of the enterprise and the security of player winnings and deposits. The gaming system has to be presented for audit by Malta Gaming Authority to ensure it meets the control objectives.

To perform oversight of operations and report to MGA, the company must appoint a resident of Malta as Key Official. This person has to be available for any inquiry from Malta Gaming Authority. The other responsibility the Key Official has is to supervise that operation runs according to the laws and regulations set by Malta and EU regulatory bodies.

License Costs

These are only the license fees, and there are company registration and capital contributions to account for when considering a gaming license in Malta. There are also differing gaming taxes depending on the Class of remote license that the operator is planning to obtain.

The Malta Gaming license fees comprise of the:

€2,330

one-time application fee

€2,500

System audit fee

€8,500

Annual License fee*

*If the application is successful

A Gambling License from respected jurisdiction and a solid business structure is the key to launching a successful iGaming business. Prospectacy Ltd assists with applications for online gaming licenses in Malta. Our experienced team is ready to offer a time and cost-effective process of obtaining a Malta remote gambling license for iGaming businesses ranging from startups to seasoned operators seeking to benefit from the EU’s top licensing jurisdiction.