Malta Gaming Authority

Variety of Slot Games

If you’re looking for casino slots, MGA casinos do have plenty to offer thanks to the casino software providers that work with MGA online casinos. And we’re not only talking about slots but also table games and live dealer games!

Reason why most of the game providers go with MGA casinos before they expand with new licenses, is because it is a great way for them to market themselves with among players and casinos before paying for a UK, SE, DK license. You’ll always find new casino games and slot machines first at the MGA online casinos.

Why Malta Though

Malta has had its ups and downs as far as the economy is concerned. Since joining the EU it has pushed its way up in the gaming industry. Malta hosts some of the biggest live dealer studios for the biggest names in online gaming software. It regulates a huge number of the top tier game developers and the casinos that use them. Why? Well the Maltese government saw the writing on the wall and have offered a number of rather attractive incentives to businesses and their employees. There are of course hoops that need to be jumped through. But the package offered to remote gambling businesses is quite impressive. Employees get reduced rates of personal income tax. There are exemptions for income coming from patents. Dividend refunds and double taxation relief there is the Re-domiciliation Act along with a few others all in all Malta is doing its best to attract gambling business. The authority has a reputation for straight dealing and a distinct lack of bureaucracy. The country as a whole has become something of a Mecca to the i-Gaming industry, it is plowing a lot of time and effort into sustaining the growth.

Player protection under MGA licence

Bojoko: How does the New Gaming Act provide added protection for players in MGA licensed casinos?

Heathcliff Farrugia (HF): For us, the new law was an opportunity to strengthen what we had in terms of player protection, but we also came up with new ideas.

When it comes to player protection, one of the most important measures we strengthened was the protection of players' funds. In the new law, player funds are considered as a separate patrimony. So, if there is a company in distress or going bust and there's a liquidation going on, the players' funds remain protected from any claim by the creditors of the licensee. We believe that in terms of players' funds, this is the maximum protection we could provide.

We also added the "one-click away" rule, which means that now, online casinos and other operators are obliged by law to always have certain information available within one click from the home or game page. For example, the self-exclusion tool has to be available not more than one click away from the page containing information related to Responsible Gaming. We believe that if a player is looking at information regarding responsible gaming, he/she should also be able to exclude him or herself very easily.

Even though a number of operators already had this in place, we felt that with some others, players needed to navigate through various menus until they go to the self-exclusion tool. We believed this was unfair so we made it very clear that the tool had to be just one click away.

We need to be very careful that we don't end up in a situation where we include measures that are aimed at protecting players and then, in turn, they end up having the opposite effect.

Heathcliff Farrugia, CEO of MGA

An important aspect of the new law is the introduction of what we call "a duty of care for operators", whereby operators are obliged to monitor players who are showing patterns of problematic gambling behaviour and to intervene when appropriate.

There are some operators, whom I would say are leaders when it comes to responsible gaming. They have very interesting systems based on, for example, betting patterns and amounts to detect problem gambling behaviour. With the help of these sophisticated tools, they can then risk-rate players on the basis of whether they are likely to develop a gambling problem.

Let me also add that as a regulator we need to be very careful that we don't end up in a situation where we include measures that are aimed at protecting players and then, in turn, they end up having the opposite effect.

So, regarding this, we engaged Dr Mark Griffiths, a chartered Psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University, to critically analyse the provisions within the player protection legislation, so as to ensure that what we were proposing is backed up with evidence. He assessed the directives and gave us very positive feedback, and even suggested a number of further measures which could continue to strengthen player protection. Now we are examining his assessment and working on its implementation.

Bojoko: Can you highlight the salient points of the new gaming act both for the general public and for the gaming industry? Who stands to benefit the most?

HF: Well I think the industry in general, will benefit. The players will benefit because of increased, more thorough, player protection directives.

The regulator will benefit from the additional regulatory powers. For example, we introduced the power to conduct "mystery shopping". Previously, we were in a situation where if we wanted to conduct an investigation on a licensee, we had to log in through a designated account, hence reducing the effectiveness of our investigation.

Through the new law, we also gave the power to licensees, or applicants, to challenge the Authority's decisions before the Administrative Review Tribunal, which is, naturally, totally independent from the MGA. If, for example, an operator applies for an MGA licence and we decide not to grant the licence, the applicant can now challenge that decision through this independent Tribunal. So, the whole process is less costly and time-consuming for the Operator and improves the processes for administrative justice.

We also modernized our licensing system so that an operator, like an online casino,  can have a B2B and/or a B2C license and doesn't need to apply for multiple licenses for different brands.

Bojoko: Given what seems to be a crackdown on the industry's lax principles and the New Gaming Act which came into effect in July 2018, does the MGA plan on following in the UK's footsteps and implementing new rules and changes in regulation? For example, would you be making forfeitable bonuses (so that players have access to their deposit at all times) a must for online casinos?

HF: We are strong believers in the benefits that can arise when regulators share best practices among themselves. We always keep an eye open for what other reputable regulators do and we do meet with them on a regular basis to discuss different ideas.

For the time being, forfeitable casino bonuses specifically are not one of our priorities, however, no measure is off the table, and we continue to focus on making sure gambling is as safe and free from crime as possible.

Last year alone we conducted 33 AML onsite inspections to make sure that operators were in line with the 4th anti-money laundering directive. In 2019 this will still be one of the main priorities and we have another 40 inspections lined up.

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2.Look for Audit Certificates

Games at the safest online gambling sites should be audited to ensure their RNGs are working properly. Many casinos will display their audit certificates for customers to read. Certificates also carry lists of proven RTPs (Return to Player percentages).

Industry reputation

MGA is among the most respected ones in the industry. It is often compared with UKGC, although it is considered its international counterpart, right below it. The thing with it is that it can operate in most markets, except the UK one. MGA casinos are the best option for European players and must register to play in them. Although they provide licensing services internationally, the ones who decide to operate in Malta markets have to set up a base in Malta.

Privacy and Security

Is The MGA License Still Relevant?

For casino sites online in the UK, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission is the governing body who controls the market. They do a great job of overlooking the industry and applying the relevant tax bills on operators. Because of the presence of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, it is not necessary for a UK casino to obtain a license from the Malta Gaming Authority.

If other countries where gambling is legal follow in the footsteps of the UK, the MGA licenses will only be required for use in Malta. For instance, the gaming license in Norway is much tighter now that it does not allow certain MGA operations in Norway. This is following the regulations on gaming operators without legitimate gaming licenses awarded by the Norwegian Gaming Authority.

Consequently, now that the NGA has control of the gambling market in Norway, an MGA license is practically useless now. Still, the MGA regulations 2020 are going to provide lots of options to operators in Europe. Many countries and jurisdictions do not have a country-level regulation system for online gambling.

Bonuses can leave players feeling short-changed

Operators like to incentivise and reward players with online casino bonuses, which include sign-up bonuses, deposit matches, free spins and even tickets to prize draws.

In most cases, casino promotions come with terms and conditions which licenced online casino operators are required to make clear to players. Terms and conditions usually include wagering requirements and the time players have to complete them, win limits, eligible games and restrictions on deposit methods.

The problem, of course, is that most players do not take the time to read these terms and conditions before accepting an offer.

Later, when they discover they have to wager winnings 35x before they can be withdrawn, or the maximum win from free spins is £100 and they have won £300, they feel scammed.

They haven't been, of course, as they agreed to these terms and conditions when they accepted the offer. Although if they hadn't read them, it is easy to see where the confusion comes in. The UK Gambling Commission requires operators to clearly display T&Cs so that players know what requirements or restrictions are attached to an offer before they accept it.

That said, it is still the responsibility of the player to make sure they read and understand any terms and conditions before accepting the offer. The use of bonuses is something the wider online gambling industry is looking into at the moment as it continues to take steps to be fairer and more transparent with players.

Reputable online casino operators do not want their players to feel like they have been scammed, so most are going to great lengths to ensure T&Cs are as clear as possible.

Some like PlayOJO have gone so far as to remove wagering requirements on bonuses and promotions and allow players to withdraw cash whenever they like with no restrictions.

Naturally, unlicensed online casinos do not have to play by these rules and can offer bonuses that have unfair terms and conditions. These can be used to scam players, as they often encourage them to deposit large amounts of money that must then be subject to sky-high wagering requirements before being withdrawn.

These playthroughs can be upwards of x100 and, in reality, most players will lose any winnings they have accrued trying to complete such high wagering requirements.

Lodden Thinks

Lodden Thinks is a strategic quiz in which two players bet on a third person’s answer to a question. Antonio and Laak invented the game during their time at a WSOPE feature table. They wanted a way to make things more entertaining.

Johnny Lodden was the first ever ‘Brain’ and the game’s original namesake.

Players are betting on a third person’s opinion (known as ‘The Brain’ or ‘Lodden Thinker’). So, the truthful answer to the question is irrelevant. But a qualifying question must have a numerical answer.

The winner is the player whose answer is closest to The Brain’s.

Here’s a highlight reel of Antonio, and Lodden Thinks, in action:

The most strategic (and fun) part of the Lodden Thinks comes during the auction stage of the game. This bidding round starts with one player making an opening offer. These proposed bets are typically very conservative. A bid in Lodden Thinks is not a specific number but a range of numbers that includes everything above the bid.

A bid of “10” would be a bet of “10 or more”, for example. So, an opening offer should be way lower than what you believe The Brain’s answer will be.

They can make a counterbid if their opponent thinks this bid is too low (and The Brain’s answer will be higher than 5). The first player can accept the new proposal or make a higher one themselves.

This process repeats until the players have an agreement.

Esfandiari likened this to a Chinese Auction where entrants buy multiple raffle tickets to increase their chances of winning.

The aim is to get the lowest number you think will be a correct answer to maximise your chances of winning. You can also attempt to trick your opponent into bidding too high.

In the Lady Gaga example above, the betting round might resemble something like this:

• Player 1: “How many dogs does The Brain think Lady Gaga has touched this year?” 
• Player 2 (Who believes The Brain’s answer will be around 20): “Over 5 dogs.”
• Player 1: “Over 6 dogs.”
• Player 2: “Over 10 dogs.”
• Player 1: “Over 25 dogs.”
• Player 2: “Sold.”

In this case, Player 2 now has numbers 0-24. He would win if The Brain’s answer were 24 or less, and Player 1 would win if The Brain’s answer were 25 or higher.

According to Phil Laak, Lodden Thinks can be played by anyone, so long as ‘they are not in a coma.’

Here’s a summary of how to do so.

1. Players nominate someone to be the Brain.
2. One of the other two players asks the other a question with a numerical answer.
3. The Brain gets some time to consider their answer and, if possible, writes it down or tells it to someone else. This process ensures that there is no cheating.
4. Players bid on their answers until they agree on a clear ‘over and under’ number.
5. The Brain reveals their answer, and the winner takes home bragging rights!

As well as killing time at the tables, Lodden Thinks is a great way to liven up a long drive or a house party. game

Your imagination only limits the absurdity of the questions. So, there is a lot of fun to be had by all!

Lodden Thinks is probably one of Esfandiari’s best legacies and a fantastic example of how he tried to make the tables as fun as possible.

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There are thousands of casino sites to choose from around the world. But not all of them operate in every gambling zone.

The world is divided into many different areas when it comes to online and other types of gambling. And depending on where you live, you will have to abide by certain rules.

Players in the UK, for example, are only able to access sites that have a UKGC licence. Similarly, players based in Malta are only able to play at sites with a valid MGA licence. And the same is also true for the game providers that provide all of the action at these online casinos outside Gamstop.

Some software providers are happy to apply for various licences around the world. And this means that they are able to present their products to many different gambling zones. However, this can be extremely expensive. As a result, many game creators will stick to just one or two jurisdictions.