Malta Gaming Authority says crypto, esports on agenda in 2026
The Malta Gaming Authority is tightening supervisory oversight for 2026, publishing their new priorities for the online gaming sector via their website.
In a March 12 statement, the regulator said it will keep a “risk‑based, evidence‑led and outcomes‑focused approach”, organising supervision under compliance, player protection and sports betting integrity to keep oversight proactive and responsive across 2026.
The 2026 plan will also focus on MGA-licensed gambling sites’ controls around cash, cash-equivalent instruments and crypto assets, tying the work to Malta’s national risk assessment on money laundering, terrorism financing, proliferation financing and targeted financial sanctions.
Full external compliance audits — carried out by MGA-approved audit service providers — will remain a key requirement for licence holders, covering areas such as anti-money laundering procedures and IT systems.
Sports betting integrity work will include focused reviews on athletes betting on their own sport and on integrity risks in esports markets “throughout 2026”, with suspicious betting reports and investigations cited as key inputs.
Esports has been identified as a high-risk area by the MGA, with such a big eco-system, and so many young players with inside knowledge of their chosen discipline.
For consumer protection, the Authority will scrutinise player safeguards via a thematic review of operator monthly alternative dispute resolution (ADR) reporting, intended to lift the quality, consistency and timeliness of submissions.
The MGA warned serious failings may trigger enforcement action, and said licensees must supply requested documentation and implement remedial action plans, with supervisory engagements conducted on‑site or online.
Cryptocurrencies, while not banned as a payment type at Malta gambling sites, are becoming increasingly popular as a medium for processing payments online. This means offshore gambling operators, based in places like Curacao, are offering these payments and securing business that might have ended up at a MGA-backed gambling website.
