Legal Notice 131 of 2016 (the “Legal Notice”) introduces new amendments to Malta’s Remote Gaming Regulations (the “Regulations”) establishing new obligations on entities that are licensed in terms of the said Regulations.
Article 46A of the Regulations states that specified casino-type games offered under remote gaming licenses issued by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) shall now abide by a minimum average return to player percentage (“RTP”) of 92%, or any such higher percentage as may be stipulated through license requirements. Further clarifications may be found in the Return to Player Directive (the “Directive”) being published by the MGA. This Directive indicates the games to which the minimum average RTP obligation is applicable, as well as detailing the methods available to the MGA as this strives to ensure compliance with RTP requirements, such as periodic checks and/or certification.
In accordance with Article 49A, licensees are now required to make, information regarding fees charged to the players as well as average winnings paid out to players over a period of time, available and accessible to all players at all times. This is a consumer protective measure aimed at improving transparency and fairness of the games.
The Legal Notice empowers the MGA with the implementation of a monitoring system. This step is a follow-up to the public consultation and stakeholder interaction efforts carried out by the MGA in recent months in relation to an Enhanced Automated Reporting Platform (“EARP”) for Remote Gaming, intended to improve reporting and compliance processes, reduce the complexity of investigations, and strengthen the regulatory framework. The new regulations grant the MGA the power to operate such a platform while setting out the limitations of its uses. Stakeholder feedback will be taken into consideration during the implementation of the system.
For assistance with iGaming services, please contact Dr David Zahra on david@davidzahra.com.
