What is an MGA licence? Licence types, requirements and validity
The Malta Gaming Authority issues two kinds of licence and recognises licences from other countries. We go through what it asks of the company and what that means for you.
Written byNiklas Ekroth
Fact-checked byPatrik LindblomLast reviewed 10 sources, of which 9 primary8 min readAn MGA licence is the permit the Malta Gaming Authority grants to companies that want to offer gaming from Malta. There are two kinds: B2C for casinos and gambling companies with players of their own, and B2B for suppliers. The licence is valid for ten years, and the company must be established in the EEA but need not be Maltese (S.L. 583.051).
At a glance
- Licence types: the Gaming Service licence (B2C) and the Critical Gaming Supply licence (B2B) (S.L. 583.05, First Schedule1).
- Validity: ten years, both when the licence is granted and when it is renewed (S.L. 583.05, regulation 61).
- The company: must be established in the EU or EEA, not necessarily in Malta (MGA on B2C licences2).
- Number of licences: 311 held by 302 companies at the end of 2025 (MGA Annual Report 20253).
Contents
What is an MGA licence?
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), established by article 5 of Malta’s Gaming Act, Chapter 583, grants licences, approvals and recognitions under article 7 (Gaming Act4). The licence is also called a Malta gaming licence; “MGA license” is the American spelling.
You need a licence to offer gaming or critical supplies from Malta, to a person in Malta or through a Maltese company (S.L. 583.05, regulation 31).
We describe the authority as a whole in our overview of the Malta Gaming Authority and explain the Act article by article in Malta's Gaming Act explained (in Swedish).
Which licence types does the MGA issue?
The MGA issues two licence categories: Gaming Service (B2C, business to consumer), for offering gaming to you as a player, and Critical Gaming Supply (B2B, business to business), for critical supplies (S.L. 583.05, First Schedule1).
A critical gaming supply is indispensable for determining a game’s outcome or handling data required by the regulator (Gaming Act, article 24).
A recognition notice means the MGA recognises a licence from another EU or EEA country—the European Union or European Economic Area—or a country with equivalent protection. It applies while that foreign licence remains active. In 2025, the MGA received 51 recognition notice applications and issued 32 (MGA Annual Report 20253).
Several product categories can be offered under one licence, but each needs prior approval. A company group can hold a single licence if its parent company controls more than 90% of the other companies (MGA on B2C licences2).
| Licence or notice | Who it is for | Example number |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming Service licence (B2C) | Casinos and gambling companies that offer gaming directly to players | MGA/B2C/220/2012 |
| Critical Gaming Supply licence (B2B) | Suppliers whose systems determine the outcome of a game or handle the data the regulator requires | MGA/B2B/779/2020 |
| Recognition notice | Companies licensed in another EU or EEA country, or in a country with equivalent protection | RN/229/2021 |
| Type | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Type 1 | Casino and live casino, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker against the house, lotteries and virtual sports |
| Type 2 | Fixed-odds betting, including live betting |
| Type 3 | Pool betting and betting exchanges, poker and bingo between players, and other games where the operator does not carry the risk itself |
| Type 4 | Skill games that the MGA has classified as controlled skill games |
Source: MGA on B2C licences2
What does the MGA require of the company?
To obtain a Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licence, the company must be established in the EEA (European Economic Area), but need not be Maltese (S.L. 583.05, regulation 101).
The MGA must refuse a licence unless satisfied that the applicant and all relevant persons are fit and proper. A qualifying holding—an ownership stake relevant to that assessment—starts at 10% (regulation 11 of the same regulations1).
Refusal is also mandatory if games fail minimum fairness standards, information supplied is false or misleading, or the company cannot finance its business sustainably. The same applies if it lacks competence and resources, or a business model that is both viable and compliant.
Anyone performing a key function needs an MGA certificate. These functions include the chief executive and those responsible for compliance, finance, player support and anti-money laundering, under regulation 23 and the Fourth Schedule.
A B2C (business-to-consumer) licence costs €5,000 to apply for and €25,000 annually, or €10,000 annually if the company offers only Type 4 (MGA on B2C licences2).
In 2025, the MGA received 38 applications for new licences and issued 19 licences (MGA Annual Report 20253).
How long is an MGA licence valid?
A Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licence is valid for ten years when granted or renewed, unless otherwise provided. Renewal requires compliance with the law and regulations during the previous period (S.L. 583.05, regulation 61).
In 2025, 8 licences were renewed out of 10 applications; 28 were surrendered, against 20 the year before (MGA Annual Report 20253).
The MGA can also suspend (temporarily stop) or cancel a licence. Published decisions appear in our log of MGA enforcement decisions (in Swedish).
You can see whether a licence is valid today in the status field on the MGA seal page5, for example “Licensed” or “Surrendered”.
What does the licence number mean?
On the MGA seal page5, you’ll see licence numbers in the form MGA/category/serial number/year: MGA/B2C/220/2012 and MGA/B2B/779/2020. Some have a suffix—an added ending—as in MGA/CRP/178/2009-01. Recognition notices use RN/229/2021.
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) publishes no official explanation of what the parts mean. We cover what the year shows in practice, with an example, in how to check an MGA licence.
What do MGA licensed casinos have to do for you as a player?
At a casino licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), your funds form a separate pool of assets you own: company creditors cannot touch them, and bankruptcy does not affect them (S.L. 583.08, regulations 4–66).
Player fund account balances must always cover all players’ balances, with at least 90% held in those accounts themselves (Player Protection Directive, article 387). Articles 11, 14 and 29 of the same directive require self-exclusion—blocking yourself from gambling—and deposit or wagering (betting) limits; withdrawals must be paid within five working days where practicable.
Disputes go to the casino’s ADR (alternative dispute resolution) entity, free for you, with decisions binding both parties (ADR Directive8).
An MGA licence is not a Swedish licence. Spelpaus.se, Sweden’s national self-exclusion register, only covers companies with a Swedish licence (Spelpaus.se9).
Rule-by-rule differences are in MGA vs svensk licens, tax on winnings in our tax guide, and other countries’ licences in the licence comparison (in Swedish).
Common questions
Does a casino with an MGA licence have to be a Maltese company?
What is the difference between a B2C and a B2B licence?
B2C, the Gaming Service licence, is for operators offering gaming to you; B2B, the Critical Gaming Supply licence, is for suppliers whose supply determines game outcomes or handles data the regulator requires (Gaming Act, article 24).
B2B licences grew from 68 in 2018 to 171 in 2025 (MGA Annual Report 20253).
How many MGA licences are there?
At the end of December 2025, 302 companies held 311 online and land-based licences, compared with 323 licences held by 315 companies a year earlier (MGA Annual Report 20253).
These figures include active, voluntarily suspended and suspended licences.
Is an MGA licence valid in Sweden?
No: spellagen (the Swedish Gambling Act) requires a Swedish licence for gambling provided in Sweden; online gambling not directed at Sweden does not count (spellagen, ch. 1 s. 2 and ch. 3 s. 310).
You can find instructions for checking a Swedish licence in Spelinspektionen’s (the Swedish Gambling Authority’s) register in how to check an MGA licence.
The MGA publishes no official explanation of the parts of the licence number, such as CRP or the suffix -01, so we have not interpreted them.
How we made this page
On 18 October 2026 we read the Gaming Act and its regulations on legislation.mt, the MGA's page on B2C licences and its annual report for 2025. Niklas Ekroth wrote the page and Patrik Lindblom checked every fact against its source on 18 October 2026.
Sources
- LawGaming Authorisations Regulations, S.L. 583.05 (legislation.mt) – legislation.mt (read 18 October 2026)
- AuthorityRemote Gaming Services (B2C) - Malta Gaming Authority – mga.org.mt (read 18 October 2026)
- ReportMalta Gaming Authority Annual Report 2025 – mga.org.mt (read 18 October 2026)
- LawGaming Act, Chapter 583 of the Laws of Malta (legislation.mt) – legislation.mt (read 18 October 2026)
- RegisterDynamic Seal Of Authorisation (authorisation.mga.org.mt), exempelsida – authorisation.mga.org.mt (read 18 October 2026)
- LawGaming Player Protection Regulations, S.L. 583.08 (legislation.mt) – legislation.mt (read 18 October 2026)
- LawDirective 2 of 2018 – Player Protection Directive (V3 – January 2023) – mga.org.mt (read 18 October 2026)
- LawDirective 5 of 2018 – Alternative Dispute Resolution Directive (V2 – July 2025) – mga.org.mt (read 18 October 2026)
- AuthoritySå här fungerar det – spelpaus.se (read 18 October 2026)
- LawSpellag (2018:1138) | Sveriges riksdag – riksdagen.se (read 18 October 2026)
Change log
- New guide.
Spotted an error? Write to info@malta-casino.se and we will correct it and log the change.
Niklas Ekroth, editor-in-chief. Has worked with digital media and the Nordic gambling market since 2015 and writes about the Malta Gaming Authority, licences and players' rights. Every page is fact-checked by Patrik Lindblom before it is published.