MGA Publishes January to June 2023 Interim Performance Report

Article by : Milena Petrovska Dec 21, 2023

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The Malta Gaming Authority is publishing its Interim Performance Report for the period from January to June 2023. The full document is available on the regulator’s official website and is spread over 52 pages.

The report gives a summary of the Authority’s achievements for the first half of 2023, along with a description of the country’s gaming industry’s performance during the same period. The latter offers a medium-term perspective for the future, as well as an analysis showing important insights for the land-based and online gaming industries.

In a short overview, the MGA highlights its supervisory activities during the period of interest.

It highlights how it conducted 14 compliance audits alongside 85 desktop reviews. Three Letters of Breach and 23 warnings were issued, while four licenses were canceled and five were suspended. Between Jan-Jun 2023, the MGA recorded nine administrative penalties and a single regulatory settlement.

The following activities and measures took place, too:

• 545 criminal probity screening checks;
• 11 Compliance Examinations as requested by FIAU;
• 2,216 player assistance activities;
• 40 responsible gambling website checks;
• 16 observation letters sent.

It’s evident that the Maltese regulator has had a busy first six months of the year.

Some Key Findings From the Report

A total of 325 companies were operating in the online gaming industry in the country. An additional 141 fell under the Corporate Group Licence definition.

The report shows that during Jan-Jun 2023, there were 138 Type 1 approvals, out of which the majority were casino and live casino games. Only 42 and 20 Type 2 and Type 3 approvals were seen in the online vertical. These two respective categories cover fixed odds and live betting, and peer-to-peer games like bingo, poker, and pool betting.

Finally, the MGA reported four Type 4 approvals focused on controlled skilled games.

The number of active players and new active players gives insights into how many people use MGA casino services.

During the period of interest, Jan-Jun 2023, there were 18.07 million total active accounts. The figure is better compared to Jul-Dec 2022 and the recorded 17.11 million. However, it’s lower by 6.2% compared to the 19.27 million active accounts seen in Jan-Jun 2022. Either way, the current figures are better when the same period in 2020 and 2021 is taken into account.

A growth was seen in the number of new active accounts.

In the reporting period Jan-Jun 2023, 9.19 new active accounts were registered. The same period the previous year saw fewer new registrations, whose number reached 8.88 million.

Excited to See Changes Under the Guidance of a New CEO

Earlier this month, the MGA informed of the appointment of a new CEO, Charles Mizzi. He’s arriving to take over from Carl Brincat as Chief Executive Officer of the MGA. Mizzi’s new position is starting on 26 January 2024, according to article 6(2)(a) of the Gaming Act (Cap. 583 of the Laws of Malta).

The appointment comes after the public call made on 30 October 2023 and the selection process that followed. Mizzi will be following Brincat throughout January to ensure a smooth transition as the head of the Authority.

Mizzi will come to the MGA after a 5-year term as the head of the Residency Malta Agency. That’s where he has played a key role in making Malta one of the most respected and attractive residencies by investment jurisdictions.