🇲🇹 Malta gambling license check

Licensed market   Last verified

Flat illustration of the Mosta dome and Valletta bastions with the Maltese islands outline

Malta licenses online gambling through Malta Gaming Authority, and every real MGA licence can be confirmed in the authority's public register. If a casino claims a Malta permit, type its name or web address below and the search checks it against the MGA register.

Check a casino against the MGA register

Searching 887 casino and betting names from the MGA register, read 2026-10-27.

Regulator
Malta Gaming Authority · MGA
Official register
Public licensee register
Machine readable
No, manual search only
Regime
Licensed market

How to verify a Malta license

  1. Open the MGA Licensee Register and search by the operating company name shown in the casino's footer, or by the casino's URL
  2. Check that the licence status reads Licensed and that the exact domain you are visiting is listed under the licensee's approved URLs
  3. Match the authorisation number in the casino footer, format MGA/B2C/123/2020, against the register entry
  4. Click the MGA dynamic seal on the casino site. A genuine seal loads a live verification page on mga.org.mt, not a static image
  5. Cross-check the site is not listed in the MGA's Unauthorised URLs database on the same website

License types in Malta

A Gaming Service Licence covers offering casino games, fixed-odds betting, peer-to-peer games and controlled skill games to end customers, while the Critical Gaming Supply Licence covers B2B supply of game content and control systems.

  • B2C Gaming Service Licence, game types 1 to 4
  • B2B Critical Gaming Supply Licence

Key facts about the MGA regime

  • Licences are issued for a 10-year term, renewable for further 10-year periods
  • A Gaming Service Licence pays a fixed annual licence fee of EUR 25,000, or EUR 10,000 when the licensee offers only Type 4 controlled skill games. B2B fixed annual fees range from EUR 25,000 to EUR 35,000 by annual revenue
  • Minimum paid-up share capital is EUR 100,000 for Type 1 or Type 2 games and EUR 40,000 for Type 3, Type 4 or a B2B supply licence. Companies with several game types add these amounts together up to a cap of EUR 240,000
  • A tiered compliance contribution on gaming revenue is payable monthly on top of the fixed fee
  • Single Gaming Act framework since 2018 replaced the old Class 1 to 4 licence system

What the license means for players

An MGA licence gives players enforceable protections under Maltese law, including segregation of player funds, responsible-gambling tools and technical standards audited by the regulator. Unresolved disputes go first through the operator's complaints process. Players can then turn to the MGA's Player Support Unit or to a registered ADR entity, and the operator must offer ADR to players free of charge. Protections apply to players wherever the operator accepts them, though local law in the player's own country may differ.

Red flags and fake MGA claims

  • Licence seal is a static image that does not click through to a live verification page on mga.org.mt
  • The exact domain is missing from the licensee's approved URL list in the register, even if the company name matches
  • Footer cites an old Class 1 to 4 licence number style with no matching entry in the current register
  • Site appears in the MGA Unauthorised URLs database, or the register shows status cancelled or suspended

Legal status and tax

Online gambling is fully legal and regulated under the Gaming Act 2018, Chapter 583 of the Laws of Malta, which consolidated earlier legislation into a single framework administered by the MGA. A 2023 amendment, Act XXI of 2023 and known as Bill 55 while in parliament, added Article 56A, which shields MGA licensees from enforcement of certain foreign judgments relating to their licensed activity. A gaming tax reform under Legal Notice 84 of 2026 took effect on 1 October 2026. It replaced the flat 5% tax and the gaming device levy with one structure of rates by game type and mode of offer.

Since 1 October 2026 gaming tax is 15% of aggregate gaming revenue from Type 1 services and 10% from Types 2 to 4, under the Gaming Tax Regulations as amended by Legal Notice 84 of 2026. It applies to players in Malta. For online play that means players who are established, have their permanent address or usually reside in Malta, wherever they are when they play. Play in controlled gaming premises and junkets pays 5%. The new rates replaced the flat 5% gaming tax and the gaming device levy. A tiered monthly compliance contribution and the fixed annual licence fee still apply on top.

Frequently asked questions

Who regulates online gambling in Malta?

Malta Gaming Authority, usually shortened to MGA, oversees gambling in Malta. A Gaming Service Licence covers offering casino games, fixed-odds betting, peer-to-peer games and controlled skill games to end customers, while the Critical Gaming Supply Licence covers B2B supply of game content and control systems.

How do I check if a casino holds a Malta license?

Type the casino name or its web address into the search on this page, which reads the MGA register every day. A real licensee appears there under its own name. The licensee register is a public web app that can be browsed in full with its View All control and searched by name, authorisation status, URL or gaming service. A separate MGA URL Checker lists the domains each licensee runs. No CSV or documented data file is published. We read both public pages in a browser every day, the same way a visitor does.

What does a MGA license mean for players?

An MGA licence gives players enforceable protections under Maltese law, including segregation of player funds, responsible-gambling tools and technical standards audited by the regulator. Unresolved disputes go first through the operator's complaints process. Players can then turn to the MGA's Player Support Unit or to a registered ADR entity, and the operator must offer ADR to players free of charge. Protections apply to players wherever the operator accepts them, though local law in the player's own country may differ.

How do I spot a fake Malta license claim?

Licence seal is a static image that does not click through to a live verification page on mga.org.mt The exact domain is missing from the licensee's approved URL list in the register, even if the company name matches Footer cites an old Class 1 to 4 licence number style with no matching entry in the current register Site appears in the MGA Unauthorised URLs database, or the register shows status cancelled or suspended

Sources

Not sure how registers work in general? Read our guide to checking if an online casino is licensed or browse every jurisdiction we cover.