Malta Gaming Authority

The Malta Gaming Authority is the regulator behind one of the most widely held licences in online gambling. An MGA badge on a casino means a Malta-based regulator reviewed that operator, holds it to ongoing compliance rules, and can act against it — not that every dispute is impossible or every payout instant. For a broader overview of gambling jurisdictions, see our casino licences section.

The licence alone doesn't confirm a specific brand is currently covered, in good standing, or free of open complaints — that still needs checking. This guide covers what an MGA licence means today, how to verify one, current licence types and fees, and how MGA compares to Curaçao and the UK Gambling Commission.

What Is an MGA Casino License?

MGA regulates gambling operators and gaming suppliers licensed through Malta. Its framework, in place since 2018, rests on two categories rather than the old numbered classes some guides still describe: a Gaming Service Licence (B2C) for companies offering games directly to players, and a Critical Gaming Supply Licence (B2B) for suppliers of the software and systems behind those games.

Regulator	Malta Gaming Authority
Jurisdiction	Malta
Application Fee	€5,000
B2C Annual Fee	€25,000 (€10,000 for Type 4 only)
Official Licence Register	Yes
Enforcement Register	Yes
Application Method	MGA Licensee Portal

Guides that still reference "Class 1" through "Class 4" licences describe a structure retired years ago. The numbers 1 through 4 used today refer to gaming service types within a B2C licence, not separate licence classes.

What Does an MGA Licence Mean for Players?

A few concrete things a player can rely on:

• Ongoing MGA supervision, not a one-time approval never revisited.
• Compliance obligations covering AML/CFT rules.
• Player-protection and responsible-gambling requirements.
• A status checkable anytime via MGA's public Licensee Register.
• Published enforcement actions, so regulatory trouble isn't hidden.

What it doesn't mean: an MGA licence isn't a guarantee of winning, instant withdrawals, or a dispute-free experience — that still comes down to the specific casino. Players should also review the available payment methods, withdrawal limits and processing conditions.

How to Check an MGA Casino Licence

Verifying a licence takes a few minutes, before depositing anywhere:

1. Find the legal operator name — usually in the footer or terms, not just the brand name.
2. Open the official MGA Licensee Register.
3. Search by company name, website URL, or Gaming Service.
4. Check the authorisation status shown.
5. Confirm the domain listed matches the casino's real URL.
6. If anything looks off, check the MGA Enforcement Register for regulatory action.

Types of MGA Licences in 2026

Licence Type	Who It Is For	What It Covers
B2C Gaming Service Licence	Operators offering games directly to players	Running an online casino, sportsbook or other player-facing gaming service
B2B Critical Gaming Supply Licence	Software and platform suppliers	Providing the systems, games or infrastructure that licensed operators run on

Within a B2C licence, MGA further splits the service by Game Type: Type 1 covers casino games, including live casino, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, house-banked poker, lotteries and virtual sports; Type 2 is fixed-odds betting; Type 3 covers pool betting, betting exchange, and peer-to-peer poker, bingo and other commission-based games; Type 4 is controlled skill games.

MGA Licence Fees and Costs

The application and annual fees above aren't the full regulatory cost. A 5% Gaming Tax on gaming revenue and a separate Compliance Contribution also apply, and both scale with the operator's actual revenue and service type — so the fixed annual fee alone understates what holding the licence costs. B2B Critical Gaming Supply fees follow a different scale tied to the type of supply and annual revenue.

How Does an Operator Get an MGA Licence?

The process runs through MGA's Licensee Portal: application and documentation, a completeness check, fit-and-proper assessment, financial and technical review, system audit steps where applicable, fee payment, and final approval. An incomplete submission gets flagged, with a limited window to fix it. MGA doesn't publish a fixed universal turnaround time — a guaranteed two-month approval claim isn't something to take at face value.

MGA Requirements for Casino Operators

• Ownership and fit-and-proper checks on the people behind the company
• Proof of adequate financial resources
• AML/CFT compliance
• Responsible-gambling measures built into the product
• Technical systems meeting MGA's requirements
• Ongoing regulatory reporting
• Named individuals for key functions, each subject to their own approval and scrutiny

MGA Player Protection and Responsible Gambling

An MGA licence carries age-verification requirements and responsible-gambling controls built into the product, including self-exclusion tools and complaint-handling processes — though the details can vary by operator within what MGA requires. The licence sets the rules; a player still has to check how a specific casino applies them.

MGA Licence vs Curaçao Licence

Feature	MGA	Curaçao
Regulator	Malta Gaming Authority	Curaçao Gaming Authority (post-2023 reform)
Licensing structure	B2C / B2B, split by Game Type	Single authority issuing licences directly
Public licence register	Yes	Yes
Supervisory model	Ongoing compliance monitoring, public enforcement register	Centralised regulator, own enforcement process
Compliance requirements	AML/CFT, responsible gambling, technical and financial review	AML and operational rules, structured differently

Neither framework is ranked above the other here — they're built differently, and a licence from either regulator says more about the process an operator went through than about how any single casino will behave. For more on the current Curaçao framework, see our Curaçao casino licence guide.

MGA Licence vs UKGC Licence

Both are established regulators, but they serve different purposes. The UKGC licenses operators specifically for the UK market under UK gambling law; MGA runs a broader European and international framework. Requirements, market access and player base differ accordingly — an operator's choice often comes down to which markets it's targeting, not which licence is "stronger."

How to Spot a Fake MGA Licence Claim

• The MGA logo is shown, but no legal entity is named anywhere on the site
• The licence number doesn't turn up in the official register
• The registered URL doesn't match the casino's actual website
• The register shows a status other than active
• The logo isn't linked to any verification page
• The footer names a different company than the licence record does

Casinos With an MGA Licence Reviewed by Spy-Casino

A short list of casinos Spy-Casino has reviewed and whose MGA status is worth confirming against the live register before publication.

Casino	Operator	MGA Status / Licence
Dazzlehand Casino	L.C.S Limited	Licensed — MGA/B2C/233/2013
Svenplay Casino	L.C.S Limited	Licensed — MGA/B2C/233/2013
Wallacebet Casino	L.C.S Limited	Licensed — MGA/B2C/233/2013
bCasino	Green Feather Online Limited	Licensed — MGA/B2C/445/2017

FAQ

What is an MGA casino licence?

Authorisation from the Malta Gaming Authority to offer gambling services under its regulatory framework — today mainly a B2C Gaming Service Licence covering the specific Game Types the operator runs.

Is an MGA licence safe?

It puts a casino under real oversight — AML/CFT rules, player-protection requirements, a public register and enforcement history. It doesn't guarantee a dispute-free experience with any one operator.

How can I verify an MGA casino licence?

Search the operator's legal name, URL or Gaming Service on the MGA Licensee Register, confirm active status, and check the listed domain matches the casino you're using.

How much does an MGA licence cost?

A €5,000 one-time application fee and a €25,000 fixed annual fee (€10,000 for Type 4 only), plus a 5% Gaming Tax on revenue and a separate Compliance Contribution — the annual fee alone isn't the full cost.

What is the difference between MGA and Curaçao licences?

MGA splits licences by service type (B2C/B2B) and Game Type with its own compliance review. Curaçao issues licences directly through a single regulator with its own register and enforcement approach. Both are publicly checkable, but the structures differ.