MGA licence explained: what it means for players and how to check

An MGA licence is issued by the Malta Gaming Authority under Malta's Gaming Act 2018 (Cap. 583). A B2C "gaming service" licence lets a company offer games to players; a B2B "critical gaming supply" licence covers suppliers. An MGA licence does not authorise a site to serve players in Great Britain, Ontario, Alberta or any US state: each of those requires its own local licence. To check a claim, search the company or the web address on the MGA's Licensee Register and confirm the licence is authorised and lists the exact URL you are using (as of October 2026).

Who is the Malta Gaming Authority and what law does it apply?

The MGA licenses and supervises gaming in and from Malta. Its legal basis is the Gaming Act 2018 (Chapter 583 of the Laws of Malta). The detail sits in regulations and in directives the MGA issues under article 7(2) of the Act, such as the Gaming Authorisations and Compliance Directive (Directive 3 of 2018) and the ADR Directive.

What does an MGA licence authorise?

The MGA's own FAQ lists two licence categories:

Player-facing licence numbers follow the pattern MGA/B2C/number/year, as the MGA's own suspension notices show (for example MGA/B2C/247/2013). A licence covers the gaming verticals approved for it. According to the Legal 500 Malta chapter, a law-firm guide, there are four game types (Type 1 games against the house decided by a random number generator, such as casino games; Type 2 games against the house on external events, such as sports betting; Type 3 games not against the house where the operator takes a commission, such as poker or bingo; and Type 4 controlled skill games, currently fantasy sports) and a standard licence is valid for 10 years. Check the exact services on the register rather than assuming a casino licence also covers betting.

Where is an MGA licence valid, and where is it not?

An MGA licence makes the company lawful in Malta. Whether it can serve you depends on the law where you are.

• Great Britain: not valid on its own. The UK Gambling Commission uses a Malta-based operator as its own example of a business that needs a UKGC licence to serve people in England, Scotland or Wales (UKGC remote sector page). See our UKGC licence explainer.
• Ontario: not valid. iGaming Ontario says an operator is authorised only once it has an AGCO registration and an operating agreement with iGO (iGaming Ontario). See how Ontario licenses online gambling.
• Alberta: not valid. According to Canadian Gaming Business, Alberta's regulated market opened on 13 July 2026, and operators must register with AGLC and sign a contract with the Alberta iGaming Corporation before going live.
• US states: not valid. New Jersey, for example, publishes the list of sites approved to offer internet gaming in the state; a site that is not on it is not approved there (NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement). See how US states license online gambling.
• Other EU countries: often not valid. In an April 2026 opinion in Case C-683/24, the EU Advocate General said the country-of-origin principle does not apply to online gambling and member states have no obligation to recognise licences from other member states. The opinion does not bind the Court.

What has changed recently for MGA licensees?

• Article 56A (2023). Malta added Article 56A to the Gaming Act in 2023 through Bill 55, according to the Court of Justice press release. It requires Maltese courts to refuse, on public policy grounds, recognition or enforcement of certain foreign judgments, and is designed to stop some foreign judgments against Maltese licensees being enforced in Malta. On 23 April 2026, the Advocate General in Case C-683/24 proposed that the Austrian referral be found inadmissible but, in the alternative, called the provision "manifestly incompatible" with EU rules on recognising judgments. The opinion is not binding; we could not confirm a final judgment when this page was written (October 2026), so check the Court's website.
• Gaming tax. According to PwC Malta, from 1 October 2026 Malta's gaming tax is 15% of aggregate gaming revenue for Type 1 services and 10% for Types 2 to 4. This is a cost for operators, not a change to player protections; see our news report on the Malta gaming tax rise.

How do I check an MGA licence on the official register?

1. Go to the MGA Licensee Register page by typing mga.org.mt yourself. The register itself is hosted at mgalicenseeregister.mga.org.mt.
2. Search by licensee name, URL, authorisation status or gaming service, as the register page describes.
3. Confirm the legal entity matches the company named in the site's terms and conditions.
4. Confirm the licence number matches the footer, and that it is a B2C licence.
5. Confirm the status is authorised, not suspended or cancelled.
6. Confirm the exact URL you are on is listed for that licensee.

What a licence seal in a footer does and does not prove

The MGA says additional information about a licensee can be viewed through its dynamic seal (Licensee Register page). A seal does tell you which licence the site claims. It does not prove the claim. According to a SiGMA report of 5 February 2025, the MGA issued a notice about unauthorised websites showing an outdated MGA logo, one of which displayed a screenshot of a licence that an MGA spokesperson said was never issued to the company named. The MGA's news section also has a category for unauthorised URLs. Treat a seal that opens a picture, a PDF, or a page that is not on mga.org.mt as a warning sign, and use the register directly. Our guide to fake casino and sportsbook clone sites lists other signs.

What player protections and complaint routes come with an MGA licence?

• Complain to the operator first, using its own complaints procedure.
• Then the ADR entity. Under the MGA's ADR Directive (in force 3 December 2018), B2C licensees work with an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) entity, must tell the MGA which one, and must make their complaint and ADR referral procedures readily available to players. ADR is an independent body that reviews a dispute between you and the operator.
• The MGA's role. Since 1 April 2019 the MGA's Player Support Unit has not examined the merits of player disputes. It still accepts complaints about unlawful, unsafe, unfair or non-transparent gaming practices. Its complaint form covers issues such as withdrawals, bonuses, KYC (identity checks) and account closures; cases are reviewed in English or Maltese, and the MGA may ask for ID.

Hub of Luck cannot make an operator or ADR body pay out. Our Malta complaints guide covers each stage, and our guide for when a casino won't pay out covers the evidence to gather first.

What an MGA licence means for players in the UK, Canada and the US

• UK: an MGA-only site is not licensed to serve you. Use a UKGC-licensed site and check it on the UKGC register. We never list MGA-only sites for UK readers.
• Canada: in Ontario and Alberta, use the provincial regulator's list. Elsewhere, provincial bodies take a firm line: in British Columbia, BCLC says its PlayNow site "is the only legal option for online gambling" and describes sites not regulated in B.C. as illegal (BCLC 2025/26 service plan). Our Rest of Canada listings include some MGA-licensed sites, each labelled as offshore: provincial protections and complaint routes do not apply to them.
• US: an MGA licence has no standing in any state. Only a state licence counts.

In practice

• Note the licence number in the footer. A player-facing licence should start MGA/B2C.
• Open mga.org.mt yourself and search the register by URL first, then company name.
• Check the legal entity, status and listed URLs all match.
• Find the operator's named ADR entity in its terms before you deposit.
• If you are in Great Britain, Ontario, Alberta or a US state, use a locally licensed site instead.
• Keep records from the start: our complaints hub explains the steps if something goes wrong.
• If gambling is causing harm, see our safer gambling page.