Malta regulator cancels three gambling licences for fee nonpayment

All three business were ruled to have breached regulation 10 (1) (a) and regulation 9 of Malta’s Gaming Compliance and Enforcement Regulations, which relate to payments due to the MGA.

In the case of eGaming Lab, the MGA said the business failed to make licensing payments to the MGA, with a total of €50,083 (£43,950/$52,600) currently owed to the regulator. 

The Malta regulator said that eGaming Lab is still required to pay this amount despite cancelling the licence, with the business having five working days from the date of the notice (29 November) to settle the outstanding fees.

Morpheus Games also failed to make payments to the regulator in line with the conditions of its licence in the country. According to the MGA, Morpheus Games owes €80,775 to the Authority and was also given five working days to settle these fees from the date of the notice.

The MGA did not disclose the amount due from M-Hub Gaming, nor did it demand that any payment be made.

However, as was also the case with eGaming Lab and Morpheus Games, M-Hub Gaming was ordered to remove any reference to the MGA and its now-withdrawn regulatory approval. 

Right to appeal under Malta Gaming Act

In line with Article 43 (1) of the Malta Gaming Act, each of the businesses has the right to appeal the decision to cancel the licences should they feel aggrieved by the ruling.

eGaming Lab, M-Hub Gaming and Morpheus Games have 20 days from the date of their respective notices, each of which was filed on 29 November, to appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal.

In its 2021 annual report, the MGA revealed that the number of licences it cancelled had plummeted that year, as the Malta regulator instead opted for lighter penalties such as warnings more often.