Charles Ingel - Tuesday, 28 November 2023 - FeaturesMalta and Canada are both Commonwealth nations and aside from a growing Maltese Canadian community of 38,000 people, the link between the two countries also extends to the iGaming business.
What is the link between a Maltese gambling authority and the Canadian gambling market? Many Canadian online casinos bear the license of the Malta Gaming Authority. We’ll take a look at some of the reasons for this here below.
The Malta Gaming Authority is a pioneer in regulating online gambling activities, securing a firm foothold as one of the first gambling licensing bodies. It was established in 2001, initially as the Lottery Gaming Authority (LGA), and is now recognized in 180 jurisdictions.
The MGA offers its regulatory services:
The goals and operations of the MGA are:
As a Canadian player, you must know that MGA- licensed casinos have your back and will cover you.
You are entitled to your rights as a gambler. The MGA’s license is to make sure that the casino knows your rights and sticks to them, providing you with a safe environment during your gambling sessions.
All game providers or casinos that the MGA has granted a license to need to keep players’ funds distinct from their organizational funds.
This policy was set in place so that if the casino goes bust and has to shut down, no operator or creditor has the possibility of messing with the customers’ funds.
The strict code of rules and policies established by the MGA has been set to prevent gambling theft, underage gambling, money laundering, and other illicit activities usually associated with gambling.
The MGA performs audits on casinos and game providers on a frequent basis. iGaming sites need to go through various checks including their offers getting tested, and the use of Random Number Generators that guarantee probability and chance.
No licensing body is willing to put forward a complaint like the MGA. If you’re a Canadian player, the MGA license has got you covered.
Keep in mind that without a regulatory body protecting you, you can hardly raise a dispute let alone resolve it. The MGA makes sure you get treated the right way.
The gambling industry is a very lucrative industry. It brings increased revenue on a global level not just in Canada. With that comes the responsibility of raising awareness related to responsible gambling.
Hey there!
Problem gambling destroys individuals, families, and friendships. In 2014, the MGA launched the Responsible Gaming Foundation which was focused on promoting responsible gaming by launching a number of programs and software associated with responsible gambling tools like the betblocker software.
The MGA is not only there to monitor what goes on in the industry but also to ensure the safety of players. And the work doesn’t just stop there!
The MGA is also known for the way it opens dialogues with customers and helps them by investigating issues with operators and dealing with unfair treatment.
The gambling industry in Canada has grown to the point where the generated revenue emanating from the industry now stands at $14-16 billion for the country.
The industry has generated over 135,000 jobs in the country and it looks like the numbers are on the increase for the years to come. Ontario has become the first province in Canada that passed a bill for an online gambling licensing model.
This means gamblers residing in Ontario can play at online sites safely via the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. However, we cannot say the same for the rest of the provinces.
That is why provinces outside Ontario are struggling to handle gambling laws and are in need of a licensing body like the MGA. Players outside of Ontario can play at online casino sites overseas.
Remember! There is no licensing set in stone for these provinces outside Ontario. This means that these Canadian gamblers can end up playing at online casinos without a license and thus gamble with shady business operators.
Check our Responsible Gambling Page to learn more about the licensing bodies for online casinos operating in Canada.
The MGA offers legislation to the following operators:
Online casino sites and sportsbooks can get licenses from the Remote Gambling Services legislation.
The four classes of licenses are:
|
Type 1 |
Casino |
This is for operators providing online table games, live casino games, poker against the house, virtual sports games, and lotteries. |
|
Type 2 |
Fixed Odds Betting |
This is for pregame and live betting markets |
|
Type 3 |
Pool Betting |
This is for operators providing all sorts of games where players compete against each other. |
|
Type 4 |
Control Skills Games |
This involves all those games that have wagers on outcomes that are in the majority determined by skill and knowledge rather than chance. An example of this would be fantasy sports. |
The MGA also licenses products such as:
The Malta Gaming Authority is one of the best and most highly-ranked licensed gambling bodies out there.
However, honesty is our best policy and when it came to how it compares with other jurisdictions, we could only find three downsides at best:
The bigger operations usually have all licenses but the smaller ones opt for restricted ones.
Site-Independent Self-Exclusion Tools
The Malta Gaming Authority requires operators to provide self-exclusion tools. These are however site-independent. There is a register with which players can self-exclude from all sites that have been granted licenses by the MGA.
This, however, needs to be done via the authority, not the operator.
Restricted Jurisdictions
While the MGA is present in 180 jurisdictions globally, players from the US are banned from playing on licensed sites for real money. Markets such as Australia, China, Turkey, Indonesia, and others have been left out.
There is the additional problem that some licensed providers have access to certain jurisdictions but are not recognized by the laws of that jurisdiction. So if you are unsure about a particular site, check the terms and conditions to be totally sure.
Can Canadian gamblers check whether they are playing with licensed casinos? And is there a way of checking for an MGA license specifically?
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you verify the license of the casino you wish to sign up for:
Log into the casino site, scroll to the end of the interface, and check whether you see the MGA license logo at the bottom of the page.
Remember that even if a gaming site looks like it has the MGA logo license at the bottom, this does not mean the site is licensed by the MGA.
So this is what you should do. Access https://www.mga.org.mt/licensee-hub/licensee-register/ . If you use this link, you will be able to find out if your chosen casino site has a valid MGA license.
All you have to do is type or copy and paste the URL of your casino and click Search.
The system will then give you all the details about the iGaming website including the registration number, the Authorisation number, the Authorisation type, and most importantly the licensed status.
If the gambling platform you’ve been signed up with has not treated you well, then you can make a complaint with the Malta Gaming Authority. Here is how:
Remember that before addressing the MGA itself, you need to first try to solve the dispute with the online casino in question.
So should you trust a casino licensed by the MGA if you’re a Canadian Gambler? The answer is Yes and Always! The MGA carries out frequent strict audits and issues stringent regulations.
As a Canadian customer, you should be reassured that you will be gambling in a responsible and secure environment where you will always be backed by a regulatory body even in unpleasant circumstances.
Charles Ingel is our resident casino and bonus review expert. He makes sure that every bonus on our site is active and tests for fairness. Charles sees to it that we have the best no deposit promos of any online bonus site.
Sign Up To Our Newsletter To Take Advantage Of Our Fantastic Offers.
EN (EN)
DE (DE)
FR (FR)
IT (IT)
NL (NL)
NZ (EN)