MGA Signs a MoU with Malta Police Force with Regards to Illegal Gambling

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Malta Gaming Authority Signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Malta Police Force with Regards to Illegal Gambling Activities

Illegal gambling has been a threat to regulated online gambling markets since the dawn of online gambling. Countries fight it the best they can, but still cannot protect their citizens sufficiently, and continue losing billions in revenue due to illegal gambling activities.

In order to protect players and eradicate the illegal gambling problem, the Malta Gaming Authority has teamed up with the island’s police. The MGA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Malta Police Force to further strengthen the communication and do what it takes to stop illegal gambling operations.


MGA and MPF Sign a MOU

The Malta Gaming Authority has already undertaken plenty of initiatives to stop illegal operators and recuperate the lost tax revenue due to their unlawful activities, such as revoking the gambling licenses of operators who were not abiding by the law and the codes. And now, it is going to work hand-in-hand with the island’s law enforcement to push these activities out of Malta.

The MGA and the MPF have signed a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) to improve and increase their cooperation and further expand their exchange of information with regards to illegal gambling operations.

With the aim to consolidate actions in combatting illegal gambling, the MGA has asked the police to help, which fully agreed. Illegal gambling offences such as those where two parties get involved in joint operations just to require the seizure of objects and other unlawful activities will be punished by law by the MPF. The MPF will from now on assist in the prosecution of illegal activities as the aforementioned ones and any other necessary investigative requirements.

Lawrence Cutajar, the Commissioner of Police, said that in this fast-paced and ever-changing world, filled with complexities, the police's work has become more challenging. At times, the police have to establish solid partnerships with other government agencies and society in general in order to ensure effective, necessary law enforcement. For the MOU with the Malta Gaming Authority, the Commissioner said that it was one in a string of initiatives which the MPF under his command has taken over the past few months, with the aim to fight crime in general, with the strong commitment to assisting in combating criminality in two of the most challenging crime categories, computer and financial-related crime.

On the other hand, Heathcliff Farrugia, Malta Gaming Authority’s Chief Executive Officer expressed his satisfaction towards this important MOU-signing event, saying that it will continue to add to the great relationship between the MPF and the MGA. The Memorandum, as Farrugia said, will mean a closer collaboration, but not only that. Both the MGA and the MPF are agreeing with it to share their knowledge and provide technical support and training to each other. Finishing his statement, MGA's CEO said that the agreement is proof of the ongoing efforts of both the MGA and the MPF in continuing their fight against illegal gambling operations in Malta.


Latest Malta Gaming Authorities Initiatives

In order to get more informed on how to deal with illegal gambling, MGA participated in the GREF’s annual conference in Cyprus. Gaming regulators attended this conference, exclusively, and tackled the theme of exploring boundaries between financial regulation and gambling regulation. The topics included payment blocking measures, alternative banking methods, virtual currencies as well as the parallels between gambling and gambling-like financial products.

Carl Brincat, the Malta Gaming Authority’s Chief Legal had a presentation with regards to virtual currencies or cryptocurrencies and gambling regulation. He was joined by Nicholas Warren, a private consultant for blockchain and financial services and Malta Financial Services Authority’ Senior Analyst of Fintech and Innovation Team, Gerd Sapiano. They discussed Malta’s case related to the MGA’s sandbox framework for the use of the Distributed Ledger Technology and Virtual Financial Assets within the gaming industry.

Apart from this, the MGA suspended M-Hub Gaming Operations Ltd and demanded that the operator stopped all gambling operations, including accepting deposits and even allowing new players to register. But a month earlier, the regulator revoked a B2C gambling service permission holder’s gambling license. The operator in question was Wish Me Luck Ltd.

With the participation on the Gaming Regulators European Forum conference and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Malta Police Force, the Malta Gaming Authority shows that it is deadly serious in terminating illegal gambling once and for all, at whichever cost. What their next moves will be, it remains to be seen.
 

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