MGA Wants Feedback on Protection Changes

At the end of September, Malta’s Gaming Authority (MGA) announced a closed consultation for the newly-proposed customer protection changes. The regulator’s goal is to reinforce Malta’s Player Protection Directive.

MGA Wants to Improve Its Protection Policies

Malta’s gambling regulator is seeking to make its Player Protection Directive clearer and more robust. To that end, the authority launched a new closed consultation with its licensees, regarding proposed amendments to the framework.

The MGA believes that a revised framework will help it with its future initiatives and will, most importantly, make it easier for the authority to make further improvements. For example, Malta’s regulator pointed out that the consultation with the licensed gambling operators will make it easier to eventually publish its detailed player protection guidelines. The MGA added that it is currently running in-depth research alongside industry experts and plans to use it as a basis for the publication of the aforementioned guidelines.

Licensees Can Contact the MGA by October 14

One of the elements that Malta’s Gaming Authority will discuss with its licensees, among other things, is operators’ obligations concerning their safer gambling protocols and practices. The MGA will consult licensed companies about the introduction of five signs of gambling harm that licensees must consider when choosing an efficient approach to protect their players and prevent gambling harm. One of the amendments also covers the provision of monetary reinforcements and staff training.

As announced by the MGA, the proposed changes are based on a professional review of the key sections of the Player Protection Directive, as well as on the regulator’s own studies and expertise. The authority noted that it has significant experience in the field thanks to its in-house Responsible Gaming Unit and familiarization visits.

During the consultations, the MGA announced, legal gambling operators will be able to share their opinions on the proposed changes and say if they believe the latter should be amended. The closed consultation period will run for two weeks until October 14, 2022.

The ongoing consultation shall give the opportunity to licensees to provide their feedback, if any, regarding the proposed amendments. The MGA concluded that any industry experts, who wish to ask further questions or provide their feedback about the consultation, should contact MGA’s policy division.

A week ago, Malta’s Gaming Authority completed a review of the island nation’s Fiscal Receipts Lottery. The authority sought to identify any gaps or issues and provided recommendations regarding the findings. However, these are yet to be made public.