MGA Reports Lower Gambling Penalties in 2025

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) recorded a significant decline in regulatory penalties during 2025, issuing administrative fines totalling €162,520 while continuing to oversee one of Europe’s largest iGaming licensing jurisdictions.

According to the regulator’s latest annual report, 30 administrative penalties were imposed during the year, down from fines amounting to €306,250 in 2024. The number of formal warnings also decreased from 35 to 22, while licence cancellations fell from eight operators in 2024 to just two in 2025.

Despite the reduction in enforcement measures, the MGA maintained oversight across both online and land-based gambling sectors.

Licence Applications Continue to Increase

Demand for a Maltese gaming licence continued to rise throughout the year.

The MGA received 38 new licence applications in 2025, compared with 28 in the previous year. A total of 19 licences were issued, up from 17 in 2024, while eight licences were renewed following the assessment of 10 renewal applications.

The regulator said its supervisory approach has become more focused rather than less active. Chief Executive Officer Charles Mizzi explained that the authority is prioritising regulatory quality through greater use of risk-based assessments, data analytics and technology to concentrate resources on higher-risk areas while maintaining confidence in the Maltese licensing framework.

Online Casino Revenue Strengthens Market Position

Casino gaming further increased its share of revenue among Malta’s licensed online operators during 2025.

Casino products generated 78.9% of total gaming revenue from B2C online licensees, representing an increase of nine percentage points compared with the previous year.

Sports betting experienced a decline, accounting for 14.5% of revenue after representing 25.6% in 2024. The MGA attributed much of the decrease to regulatory developments in overseas jurisdictions and the introduction of new licensing models outside Malta.

Meanwhile, pool betting increased its contribution from 4.6% to 6.6% of total gaming revenue, although it remained a relatively small segment of the market.

Ongoing Compliance and Integrity Monitoring

Monitoring betting integrity remained a key regulatory priority during the year.

Licensed operators submitted 280 suspicious betting reports to the MGA. After completing its assessments, the authority redistributed 192 alerts to licensees to assist in identifying potentially irregular betting activity.

The regulator also completed 15 full-scope compliance audits and processed 3,718 requests for regulatory assistance.

Online enforcement continued as officials reviewed 109 websites suspected of falsely using the identity of the MGA or licensed operators. The investigation identified fraudulent references on 42 of those websites.

Land-Based Compliance Activity Remained Strong

The MGA also maintained extensive oversight of Malta’s land-based gambling sector.

During 2025, inspectors conducted 7,903 visits covering casinos, bingo halls, National Lottery outlets, controlled gaming premises and non-profit tombola events.

In addition, the authority approved 2,043 permits for non-profit tombola events, issued 22 permits for non-profit lotteries and granted 118 certificates for commercial communication games.

Although administrative penalties declined during the year, the report indicates the MGA continued to prioritise regulatory supervision, compliance monitoring and market oversight through a more targeted enforcement strategy.