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Malta Gaming
Licence Process

The Malta Gaming Authority (the “Authority”) is the authority in Malta responsible for issuing licences for both land-based and remote gaming. The applicant is required to submit all the necessary information at the same time, which will then be analysed and determined on three (3) different bases by the Authority.

1

Onboarding by Gonzi & Associates, Advocates

Our expert lawyers will walk you through the initial stages of the licensing process. Following onboarding by the Firm, you will have access to a Client Portal through which you will be able to control all aspects of the licensing process.
2

Fit & Proper Test

The first area of analysis by the Authority focuses on the conducting of a ‘fit and proper’ exercise in order to establish whether all of the persons bringing the application are suitable to carry out any business in the field of gaming. This exercise is conducted on any person holding a position in a financial or managerial capacity or who is otherwise involved in the business viability of the venture. In this respect, the Authority liaises with other national and international regulatory bodies in order to pursue probity investigations to fully ensure the appropriateness of the applicant.
3

Assessment of Business Plan

Secondly the Authority examines, from a financial point of view, whether the applicant’s business plan contains the necessary detail to fall in line with the former’s expectations. The business plan must include a detailed forecast of the development of the venture that includes marketing and distribution strategies, a human resources plan and growth targets.
4

Assessment of Operational & Statutory Requirements

The Authority would then assess the applicant’s instruments which are required to conduct the business. The instruments examined shall include any documents of incorporation, the games to be played, any business processes which shall be put in place related to carrying out the remote games, the rules, procedures, terms and conditions of every game, policies, procedures and technical documentation of both the gaming and control systems.
5

System Review

In the event that all the examinations are completed successfully, the applicant shall be informed of the success of the application and shall subsequently be invited to implement their system onto a technical environment in anticipation of going live. The applicant is then provided with a 60-day time window to complete the implementation, where failure to implement onto a technical environment shall result in the suspension of the application, making it subject to re-submission. Within the time period provided, the applicant may, at any time, trigger a request for an audit of the external systems, to be performed by an independent third party that is approved by the Authority.

The examinations described in point (4) above, form the entire initial desk-based audit of a Malta gaming licence process and is normally completed within 12 to 16 weeks, provided that all the information submitted is complete and correct and that clear communication between the applicant and the Authority is maintained. Applicants are cautioned that applications which are of a low quality or come up inconsistent during the audit, may be dropped and the applicant would then need to resubmit a new application.

If there is major deviation from the proposals of the application at this stage, the Authority may request the applicant to re-submit the application with the revised proposals. As soon as the certification process is completed successfully, the Authority shall issue a licence that shall remain valid for a period of ten (10) years.

 

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How we can help

Gonzi & Associates, Advcocates, has extensive experience in this field and is able to provide specialised assistance to your business at all stages of your Malta gaming licence process, including:

  • Collection & preparation of documentation
  • Drafting of agreements with third-parties such as data centres, back-up recovery service providers
  • Assisting with the appointment of Key Functionaries, director/s, Data Protection Officers (DPOs), and Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLROs)
  • Guiding through every stage of the application process
  • Providing post-licensing follow-up assistance

We can assist.

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