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MGA Representative Interview on Licensing
Malta remains one of the most recognizable licensing centers in iGaming. We talked with a representative of the regulator about how the path to the MGA license works, what is checked at each stage and what a stable compliance circuit consists of after launch.
Short reference
The MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) is the gambling regulator in Malta. It regulates B2C operators (online casinos, betting, lotteries, etc.) and B2B critical service providers (game aggregators, RNG, critical infrastructure hosting, etc.). The approach is based on risk assessment, transparent reporting and continuous compliance monitoring.
Interview (Q&A)
1) Who needs an MGA license and when is it justified?
Question: If we have an international brand, is it worth going to MGA?
MGA Representative Response: It makes sense when you are targeting regulated markets and are ready for mature compliance: AML/KYC procedures, Responsible Gaming, technical audit, system reporting, risk management and working with trusted providers. The license is especially useful for companies with a European focus and a "white" marketing strategy.
2) What are the licenses and roles?
Q: What is the basic licensing structure?
Answer: For B2C, the license covers the categories of games (slots/tables, bets, peer-to-peer, etc.), and for B2B - "critical suppliers" (game studios, aggregators, hosting of critical components, RNG providers). The roles are clearly divided in the value chain: operator, content provider, payment partner, affiliates - each is responsible for its own compliance area.
3) Stages of obtaining a license
Question: Describe the path from application to launch.
A: A typical process involves five large blocks:1. Fit & Proper - verification of beneficiaries, directors and key functions (reputation, sources of funds, experience).
2. Business plan and financial model - sustainability, positive cash flow, reserves and risk insurance.
3. Policies and Procedures - AML/CFT, KYC, customer complaints, Responsible Gaming, incident management, outsourcing, IT security.
4. Technical architecture - infrastructure, environment segmentation, redundancy, logging, monitoring, data protection, integration with providers.
5. System and technical audit - verification of compliance before "go-live," and then scheduled inspections and audits during the first year of operation.
4) What documents and artifacts are required?
Question: What is most often forgotten to attach?
Answer: Complete set of policies (AML/KYC/RG/incidents/outsourcing/risk management), infrastructure description (charts, accesses, logs), critical vendor contracts, test and deployment procedures, business continuity plan (BCP/DRP), role and access matrix, incident register and staff training plan.
5) AML/KYC: What's under the magnifying glass?
Q: What is the regulator particularly looking at in AML?
Answer: For risk-based customer segmentation, source of funds (SoF/SoW) processes for high-risk segments, revision triggers (frequent deposits at night, non-standard payment routes), sanctions and PEP screening, quality of alerts and escalations. Training front employees and recording all decisions are important - to show exactly how you came to the verdict on the case.
6) Responsible Gaming: Where are the "red lines"?
Q: What are the minimum expectations for RG?
Answer: There should be deposit/loss/time limits, timeouts, self-exclusion, "reality checks," early intervention logic for risk patterns, understandable instructions in the interface and harm metrics in reporting. Any marketing activity should not conflict with risk signals.
7) Technical requirements and audit
Q: What is the focus of the technical checks?
Answer: Logging and integrity of logs, RNG and integration with games, correctness of balances and transactions, fault tolerance (RTO/RPO), security of API and keys, separation of environments, control of releases and access to production, monitoring and alert tools, protection of payment data and personal data.
8) Timing and planning
Question: Realistic timeline?
Answer: It all depends on the readiness of the company. The teams that come with stocked policies, charts, and contracts travel noticeably faster. The longest parts are eliminating AML/RG comments and polishing the architecture before technical audit.
9) Working with providers and outsourcing
Q: Can critical components be outsourced?
Answer: Yes, but the responsibility remains with the licensee. We need contracts with a clear SLA, auditor rights, incident plans, supplier risk assessment and regular recertification. "Critical services" require the provider to be compliant with standards and transparent to review.
10) Marketing and Affiliates
Question: What are the requirements for affiliates?
Answer: The operator is obliged to control partners: honest advertising, the absence of misleading promises, correct work with restrictions on age and jurisdictions, the register of affiliates, the "stop-list" procedure and traffic verification. The operator is responsible for the promises of the affiliate.
11) Payments, stablecoins and new methods
Question: How does the regulator look at new payment methods?
Answer: The key is transparency, sanction screening, transaction monitoring, return in case of disputes and compliance with local rules. Any innovation must fit into your AML matrix and KYC/SoF processes.
12) White-label vs own license
Question: Is it possible to start through white-label?
A: This is a working path for MVP, but control and reputational risks are higher: you depend on host processes. If you build a long-term brand and jurisdictional strategy, your own license gives you flexibility and control.
13) What goes wrong most often
Question: Top mistakes of applicants?
Answer:- Policies "off the shelf" without binding to real processes.
- Underestimation of personnel training and quality of solutions documentation.
- Weak architecture diagram and blurred access rights.
- Lack of RG metrics and understandable logic of early interventions.
- Unformed relations with affiliates and incomplete register of partners.
- Non-transparent financial flows and sources of funds.
14) How to build compliance after launch
Q: What makes a mature licensee different?
Answer: Culture of continuous compliance: regular internal audits, metrics and alerts on AML/RG/security, policy updates, incident tracking, reporting on time, employee training, infrastructure change log, outsourcing control and documented decisions on controversial cases.
15) Practical checklist of preparation for the application
- Company structure and beneficiaries: transparency, biographies, confirmation of funds.
- Policies and Procedures: AML/KYC, RG, Incidents, Outsourcing, Risk Registry, Training.
- Architecture and security: charts, accesses, logs, DR/BCP, monitoring, test plans.
- Contracts: Game/payment/hosting providers, SLAs, audit rights.
- Operational registers: affiliates, complaints, incidents, release versions.
- Finance: business plan, reserves, insurance, cash flow description.
- Metrics showcases: AML alerts and outcomes, RG indicators, critical flow SLAs.
16) Tips for those who go for a license for the first time
Start with a gap analysis and risk map.
Do not save on front training and instrumentation (magazines, alerts, reports).
Do a "dry audit" before filing: The outside eye often finds important gaps.
Agree with providers on the level of transparency: log access, SLA, incident procedure.
Build a compliance calendar for the year ahead: internal checks, policy updates, recovery tests.
The MGA license is not a tick box, but a compliance operating system: from decision-making culture to supply chain monitoring and transparency. Companies that come into regulation with an honest architecture, real processes and reporting discipline launch faster and live more stable - in understandable markets, with a trusted brand and a predictable economy.