MGA publishes 2019 Annual Report

Apart from providing an overview of the MGA’s work during 2019, this document gives an account of the performance of the Maltese gaming industry during that year and provides an outlook for the industry in the medium-term.

The report highlights the fact that 53 licences were issued by the MGA in the period under review, while it cancelled 14 licences and suspended 11. During 2019, 48 audits were conducted by the relevant unit within the Authority. The MGA also conducted 1,300 criminal probity screening assessments. As at the end of December 2019, the number of companies licensed by the MGA, including both online and land-based entities, stood at 294.

Commenting on the contents of the Report, MGA CEO Heathcliff Farrugia explained how the “increased focus on compliance and enforcement” provided the rationale for an internal restructuring of the Authority. This included the setting up of a Sports Integrity Unit, assigned with the task of tackling betting-related corruption and to “ensure the integrity of sports”. Farrugia also highlighted the fact that international collaboration will continue to be key in the MGA’s “ongoing fight against crime, corruption, and money laundering.”

The full report can be accessed by clicking here.