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Checked against the UK Gambling Commission public register on 9 November 2026. An independent site, not the Gambling Commission. How we work.

The Malta Gaming Authority, known as the MGA, is the regulator that licenses gambling under the law of Malta. An MGA licence is a real licence, but it is a Maltese one. For a player in Great Britain it does not bring the protections of a UK licence unless the same company also holds one for the domain being used. This page explains what the MGA licence is, how it relates to a UKGC licence and how to check each.

What the licence is

The MGA is Malta's gambling regulator. Its licence is a permission to provide gambling under Maltese rules, in the way the Gambling Commission's licence is a permission under the Gambling Act 2005. The two regulators have different laws, different conditions and different public information.

The practical point for a UK reader is that the licence is issued by Malta for operating under Malta's regime. It says nothing, on its own, about whether a company may provide gambling to people in Great Britain. For that the Gambling Act 2005 requires a Commission licence, whichever country the operator is based in.

Who issues it

The Malta Gaming Authority issues it. Its own website, mga.org.mt, explains what it does and where licence information is published. Use that site, not a logo on a casino page, as the place to confirm a statement.

The point about holding both

A company licensed by the MGA can also hold a UKGC licence. This is the main reason the MGA appears in searches about non-UK casinos in a way that confuses people. A well-known brand might be run by a group with a Maltese licence for some activity and a UKGC licence for its UK-facing site. We do not assert anything further about particular companies here.

What matters is the domain and the entry on the register. The Gambling Commission's register lists the domain names that a licensed business has declared. If the domain you are using is listed under an active UKGC licence, the UK protections apply to that domain. If it is not, they do not, even when the same group holds a UKGC licence elsewhere. The check a UKGC licence guide shows the steps.

What it means for a UK player

On a site that holds an MGA licence and no UKGC licence for its domain, a UK player has:

  • no GAMSTOP cover, because GAMSTOP is a condition of UKGC licences. See the GAMSTOP page.
  • no UKGC complaint route and no UK approved ADR provider.
  • no UK slot stake limits, as described on stake limits.
  • no UK cap on wagering requirements, which licensed operators must follow.
  • no UK affordability checks or customer funds disclosure.

Playing there is not an offence for the player, because the Gambling Act 2005 section 33 offence is committed by the operator. The protections are the thing at stake.

Reading an MGA statement

An MGA licence statement can be tested with a short process:

  1. Note the company name and licence reference the site shows.
  2. Go to the MGA's website and use its own information to confirm the company.
  3. Compare the company name with the terms and conditions of the site.
  4. Search the Gambling Commission's register for the domain, to see whether the site is also licensed for Great Britain.
  5. Treat a mismatch at any step as unverified.

If the MGA's website does not let you confirm the entry, the statement stays unverified. The MGA's rules, powers and complaint arrangements are described by the MGA, and we have not assessed them. This page does not.

MGA and the offshore searches

People searching for non-UK casinos or European casinos that accept UK players often meet MGA licences. The non-UK casinos page treats that search as information. The same warning appears there: a site outside the UK system is outside GAMSTOP, and a UK player loses the UKGC complaint route and ADR, the stake and wagering rules and the affordability checks.

An MGA logo is not a UK protection. The only UK test is the register.

Other licences

For the other places covered on this site, see the licence countries hub, which links to Curaçao, Anjouan, Kahnawake and Costa Rica. They are listed for information and not ranked.

Limits of this page

We state what the MGA is and how its licence relates to a UKGC licence. We do not make statements about the rules of the MGA's regime, the companies it licenses or how it handles complaints, because the primary source is the MGA's own website. If you need detail, read it there.

Gambling help

Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over. The GamCare National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133 and open 24 hours, with more at GamCare. To block accounts with UK licensed operators, see GAMSTOP, and for advice and tools see BeGambleAware.

Questions readers ask

Is an MGA licence the same as a UKGC licence?

No. They come from different regulators under different laws. The Malta Gaming Authority licenses gambling under Maltese law, and the Gambling Commission licenses gambling used in Great Britain under the Gambling Act 2005. A company may hold both, but one does not stand in for the other.

Can a casino hold both an MGA and a UKGC licence?

Yes, a licensed operator can hold both. In that case the UKGC licence covers the gambling it provides to people in Great Britain, and the UK rules apply to that part. The Gambling Commission's register shows which domains are covered, so check the domain you are using.

If a site has an MGA licence, is it on GAMSTOP?

Only if it also holds a UKGC licence and the domain is covered by it. GAMSTOP is a condition of UKGC licences, and the MGA licence does not bring it. A site with only an MGA licence does not check the register, so a UK player's exclusion does not reach it.

Where do I check an MGA licence?

On the Malta Gaming Authority's own website, mga.org.mt, which explains its role and where licence information is published. Compare the company name and the domain with the site, and search the Gambling Commission's register too, because the two checks answer different questions.

Can I complain to the MGA as a UK player?

The MGA's route and rules are set by Maltese law and by the MGA itself, so read its website for what it accepts. It is not the UKGC route and not a UK ADR provider. Ask the operator for its complaints procedure and note which body it names.