New statuses, clearer documentation requirements, and stricter oversight introduced
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has clarified recent updates to its system audit, system review, and compliance audit procedures, following confusion among licensees.
Last year, the MGA revised a section of its website detailing audit requirements. The changes introduced two new audit statuses—“Resolved at Audit Stage” and “Partially Compliant”—but many licensees weren’t sure how to apply them.
Typically, licensees have 60 days to complete system audits and reviews, and 90 days for compliance audits. Under the new guidance, if a minor issue arises during an audit and the provider fixes it immediately, they should mark it as “Resolved at Audit Stage.” If they can’t resolve an issue right away but expect to fix it soon, they can mark it as “Partially Compliant.”
In both cases, providers must include notes detailing the issue, the resolution, and their planned next steps.
To streamline submissions, the MGA now requires companies to use three specific folders—one each for system audits, system reviews, and compliance audits. The Authority has instructed providers to name files based on their content and explain why each document qualifies as “sufficient and conclusive” for the audit.
The MGA believes these updates will improve efficiency and communication throughout the audit process.
Beyond licensed operators, the MGA is also targeting illegal entities. Recently, it issued a warning after casinowinner.io falsely claimed to hold an MGA licence, reinforcing the regulator’s strict stance on unauthorized operations.
These audit procedure changes form part of a broader set of updates from the MGA, which also revised policies related to financial reporting, personal detail forms, device exhibitions, and alternative dispute resolution in the past year.
