The Malta Remote Gaming Regulations: Lotteries & Gaming Authority (LGA)

Over the past years Malta has successfully established itself as a serious and well-regulated European jurisdiction attracting on-line gaming companies. The Government of Malta carried out a complete revision and consolidation of the gaming legislation, and a new all-encompassing gaming law was enacted by the Maltese Parliament in virtue of which the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) has been set up.

The Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority has revised the regulations whereby Gaming activities including online casinos, casino-style games, online poker, betting exchanges and lotteries could be allowed after an application is submitted and a licence is granted.

Remote Gaming was originally introduced in Malta under the Department of the Public Lotto Act in 2000 which then only permitted licensing of Betting activities. The then Regulations for Offshore Betting Offices attracted more than 60 companies between 2000 and 2004, and during this period 42 companies operated successfully.

The Malta Remote Gaming Regulations came into force on the 20th April 2004. The new Regulations are established under the main Act as Other Games by Means of Distance Communication, this means that:

• the gaming principles are the same as those of the principal act that requires parliament intervention to change;
• the regulations are under the control of the Authority and can be changed by way of a simple legal notice.

New Regulations - New Concepts

• Technology Neutral – Apply to all types of technologies (internet, mobile, telephone, fax and game devices).
• Game Neutral – Apply to all types of games (Betting, P2P, Online Casino, Community Games, Leagues, etc..)
• Future Proof (as much as practicable).
• Shift from regulating games to regulating the means of carrying out gaming.
• Establishes a safe environment for players.
• Gives operators a competitive edge.

The LGA has a staff compliment of over 40 personnel, all with the necessary background in the different areas of gaming. The officers directly involved in Remote Gaming are involved in the following functions: Application Processing, Involvement Verification, Regulatory Supervision, Financial & Accounting, Information Management, Legal & Enforcement, Inspections and Marketing.

For iGaming Services, including Remote Gaming Licensing, Key Official Support and eCommerce Solutions; kindly forward your query to remotegaming@csbgroup.com