UKGC vs MGA licence

Neither regulator's pages rank the two regimes, so this page names no winner; the difference in reach is stated plainly in the rules, because the Commission regulates remote gambling offered to consumers in Great Britain wherever the equipment is based, while Malta's licensing rules start from services provided from or to Malta. The sections below show where each regime's own rules go further.

The points below are rules the Commission's pages set out.

Reach into Great Britain

An operating licence is required to provide most gambling facilities in Great Britain. Remote gambling that uses key equipment inside Great Britain is also covered. Key equipment is anything used to store a person's gambling information, present virtual games or races, determine results or store result information.

Northern Ireland is the exception. The Commission does not regulate remote gambling there, but advertising it to Northern Ireland consumers without a Commission licence is an offence under the Gambling Act 2005.

Withdrawals and identity checks

Online players can withdraw their money at any time without unreasonable delay or restriction, and need not take it in instalments. A business cannot confiscate money because a player has not logged in or proved their identity within a set time. Unusual account activity can still stop a withdrawal, but a business should not hold on to money unnecessarily.

All online businesses must ask for proof of age and identity before a player gambles, and no bet can be placed until the customer is verified. Proof of age and identity cannot become one of the withdrawal conditions if the business could have asked earlier. A business that delays a withdrawal for insufficient ID may be in breach of Licence Condition 17. If it needs more, for anti-money laundering checks for example, it should ask promptly.

ID checks serve three purposes: confirming age, checking for self-exclusion and confirming identity. No list of documents and no timescale is set. Electronic matching against sources such as credit reference agencies and the electoral roll can be instant, and passports, driving licences and household bills are examples of documents. A selfie may be requested where fraud is suspected, and bank statements may be requested to check that funds are legitimate. Businesses also set deposit or loss thresholds based on income, using open data and official statistics to assess affordability.

How money is protected

Money staked or deposited with a gambling business is not protected by the Commission or government the way bank accounts are. Every business must say in its terms whether money is protected if the business becomes insolvent, and which of three levels applies:

• No protection: account money counts as part of the company and would be lost.
• Medium protection: the business has made arrangements such as insurance, but getting money back is not certain.
• High protection: money sits in a legally separate account run by an independent trustee and checked by an external auditor, which gives the best chance of recovery.

Licensed online businesses must keep customer funds in a separate account, yet a separate account alone does not ensure players get any money back if the business fails. From 31 October 2025 a business holding unprotected funds must remind players every 6 months, and players must acknowledge the notice before they can use funds held for gambling. The Commission states that people using gambling businesses do so at their own risk.

Licence conditions, games and marketing

The Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) set what every licensee must meet. The current version is effective from 29 July 2026, and a separate extract covers casinos. The approach is outcome-based: specific rules in some areas, and room for licensees to choose their own way of meeting the rest.

Holders of remote operating licences must meet the remote technical standards, and data requirements apply to game test reports, annual game audits and security audit reports. Funding gambling with credit cards has been banned. Guidance exists on online slots stake limits, a consultation response covers online game design and reverse withdrawals, and the LCCP was changed on High Value Customers after consultation.

Licensees must follow advertising rules, keep marketing away from self-excluded customers and use fair and transparent terms. They must also display their licensed status, and example formats are published. As the gambling supervisory body for anti-money laundering, the Commission has a duty to make sure adequate controls are in place.

Public record and enforcement

A register of regulatory actions against licensees is public, alongside public statements issued after enforcement action. Recent enforcement news includes the suspension of the licence of Targetlocal Ltd, announced on 21 September 2026, and a £5m payment by land-based casino operators for regulatory failures, reported on 7 October 2026. The Commission can also review a licensee's ongoing suitability where there is evidence of misconduct abroad, and can refer cases to authorities in other countries.

The points below are ones the MGA's regulations and directives set out in detail.

Who can hold an MGA licence

Nobody may provide a gaming service or a critical gaming supply from Malta, to anyone in Malta or through a Maltese legal entity without a valid licence, unless exempt. Only a person established in the European Economic Area can hold one. Gaming tax rests on revenue from customers located in Malta.

Games are sorted into Types 1 to 4. Type 1 covers house games decided by a random generator, including roulette, blackjack, baccarat and virtual sports. A licensee does not need a separate licence for each type, but must apply for approval to add one. An authorisation from another EU or EEA state can be recognised through a recognition notice, which has its own register.

Applicants must be fit and proper at application and afterwards. Ownership of ten percent or more counts as a qualifying interest, or a lower figure if the Authority sets one. Minimum paid-up share capital is €100,000 for Type 1 and Type 2, and €40,000 for Type 3, Type 4 and a Critical Gaming Supply licence. A licence runs for ten years, and renewal depends on compliance during the previous term.

Player funds in law

Funds held by a licensee are held solely for and on behalf of the player, and are a distinct patrimony separate from the operator's own assets. The operator's creditors have no claim on them, and insolvency or bankruptcy law does not affect them. On insolvency, or if the Authority requires it, control and title must pass immediately to whoever the Authority instructs.

Funds must be segregated at all times. They may share a common account, but each player's money must stay separately identifiable. An operator that outsources player funds stays fully responsible and liable to players for losses caused by the third party. Failing to pay players when lawfully due is a criminal offence under the Third Schedule to the Gaming Act.

In one recorded liquidation, outstanding player balances were transferred to the Authority through proceedings before the First Hall Civil Court (Commercial Section). Where possible, balances go back to the account they came from, and players of that operator who were owed funds could send the Authority a formal claim with evidence. The regulation gives no figure for what a player would recover in a given failure.

Complaints and disputes

Operators must publish clear information on how to complain to them and how to refer disputes to an ADR entity. The result of a complaint inquiry is due within ten days, extendable by a further ten if the player is told within the first ten days and given the reason. The reply must explain how to go to an ADR entity and to the Authority's Player Support Unit, and what an ADR decision means for the right to further legal action.

ADR must be offered free of charge. The entity must be competent in gaming disputes and established in the EU or EEA. Its services must at minimum include arbitration or adjudication, or another service whose outcome binds both sides. A licensee with no ADR arrangement must refer the player to a listed entity within 20 days of the player saying the dispute is unresolved. For disputes outside the Small Claims Tribunal's reach, non-binding ADR such as mediation may be offered instead.

The Player Support Unit takes complaints from anyone who reports that a licensee's service is unlawful or not safe, fair or transparent. It examines them independently of any ADR dispute, can demand information from the operator and escalates possible breaches to the Authority's compliance directorate.

Self-exclusion, limits and play controls

Self-exclusion for a set or indefinite period must be available at all times, within one click of the responsible gaming page online, and must take effect immediately. It covers all of the licensee's games and all its channels; narrower exclusions can only be extra options. It can be removed only at the player's request or when the set period ends. A request to shorten or end one takes effect after at least 24 hours for a set period and at least seven days for an indefinite one. Players can still withdraw remaining funds, and no inactivity fees may be charged during self-exclusion.

One limit applies. Where no unified self-exclusion database exists for remote gaming, a licensee with several brands that need separate registration may confine self-exclusion to the brand where it was requested. Where an exclusion rests on signs of a gambling problem, all of the licensee's brands are covered.

Licensees must offer deposit limits, wagering limits or both, and online licensees must ask before the first deposit whether the player wants to set them. A stricter limit takes effect at once; loosening or removing one takes 24 hours. Where a player has several accounts, responsible gaming limits apply across all of them.

Players of random-outcome house games can set a pop-up reality check that pauses play and shows time and money spent in the session. Online, the balance and currency must always be visible, and six months of gambling history must be accessible. Criteria for spotting problem gambling must at least cover deposit and wager patterns, multiple payment methods, reversed withdrawals, more complaints and bonus requests, and use of responsible gaming tools.

Game return and operator controls

Online random-outcome games must pay out on average at least 85% of money wagered, or more if the licence requires. The average is measured over one calendar year unless the Authority says otherwise. A game that uses a random number generator or game engine not yet approved needs the Authority's prior written approval. Critical supplies must come from a provider holding a B2B licence or a recognition notice.

The key technical setup must sit in Malta or another EU or EEA state, and a live mirror server of essential regulatory data must be open to the Authority at all times. People who carry out a key function, including compliance and preventing money laundering, need a certificate of approval, and performing one without it is an offence.

Terms and homepage disclosures

Online licensees must show on the homepage that the MGA licenses them, in a way readily visible to players, together with any identifier tool the Authority requires, which may include a dynamic seal. The homepage must also carry a sign that underage gaming is not permitted and a message that gaming can be harmful if not controlled.

Terms must sit no more than one click from the homepage and must not be unfair under the Consumer Affairs Act. A licensee may hold only one version of its general terms. Material changes need the player's express acceptance before they take effect, and a player who refuses can still withdraw the balance under the original terms. Where language versions conflict, the one most beneficial to the player prevails, and where a term is doubtful the reading most favourable to the player applies. Any fee charged to the player must be readily available. Adverts must show the licensee's name, licence number, minimum age and responsible gaming information.

Enforcement steps

Measures run from orders and warnings to administrative penalties under article 25(3) of the Act, reports to the Executive Police for criminal proceedings, and suspension or cancellation. Suspensions and cancellations must be made public. Other sanctions stay unpublished unless the public interest or the law requires it. In exceptional cases the Authority can act before an investigation ends, and it may keep and publish a list of operators that do not comply.

The enforcement register holds worked examples. Administrative penalties of €147,080 were issued for numerous shortcomings. Licence MGA/B2C/717/2019 of Winzon Group Limited was cancelled effective 11 March 2026, with players to be told by email and on the website for 30 days and all player money to be refunded. Condor Malta Limited was suspended effective 16 September 2026, which ends its gaming operations but leaves it required to keep players' accounts accessible.

Checking the licence

For an MGA licensee, the dynamic seal links to additional information on the licence. Our guide on how to check a casino licence covers both registers, and fake and cloned casino licences covers false claims.

A list of web addresses the MGA has no connection with is public, and any claim on those domains of an MGA link or licence is false and misleading. Entries include domains with UK in the name and one .co.uk domain. Consumers should confirm that the MGA authorises a provider before using its services.

Taking a complaint

On the UKGC side, the Commission has no access to customer accounts, so it cannot see what happened when a player has problems. Reports on unlicensed gambling, underage gambling, money laundering, suspicious activity and match fixing can be made in confidence, and a complaint about a business goes through its contact page.

On the MGA side, the formal complaint form asks for the website URL, the operator, the username, the game played, the disputed amount and the date and time of the incident. Trying the operator's support and management first is strongly recommended.

Self-exclusion and help

Players can block gambling payments with their bank, control the time and money they spend and view their playing history. The Commission also sets assessment principles for multi-operator self-exclusion schemes. Free help is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 for England and Scotland, and the NHS Wales helpline on 0808 2819 265. Our responsible gambling page has more.

Choosing between the two

An MGA licence is a Maltese authorisation. The practical test is the register entry: it should name the company that runs the casino and carry a licence number.

Each regime has its own guide and its own casino list:

• UK Gambling Commission licence explained
• Malta gaming licence (MGA) explained
• UKGC licensed casinos
• MGA licensed casinos

When a regulator changes a rule, or a fact on this page is wrong, our team reads the regulator's own page or register again and corrects the page. Send the point you think is wrong to info@biglicence.co.uk. The correction goes into the page itself.

• Big Licence team checks of the licences we cover
• gamblingcommission.gov.uk Used for the UK Gambling Commission's own pages and public register.
• mga.org.mt Used for the Malta Gaming Authority's own pages and licensee register.
• legislation.mt Used for the Maltese gaming regulations.