Malta – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
This tiny sandstone island in the middle of the Mediterranean is home not only to crystal blue waters and warm temperatures but also to some of the world’s best casino operators. The country was the first in the EU to set up a regulated gambling market and continues to lead the way in this sector. For players, being at a Malta online casino is the equivalent to visiting one of the top casinos in the world, both in terms of quality and security, as well as game selection and innovation. Not only that, for Maltese players there are loads of sites to choose from, either locally licensed sites or those that hold licenses from other jurisdictions. The world is your oyster, and Malta is the pearl.Since the selection available to you is so vast, we’ve created an optimized list and made it handy so that you can easily find the best online casino in Malta to suit your needs. This list of operators is readily available, and it’s updated regularly, so you can be sure to find the latest and most exciting gaming sites.
Finding the best Maltese casino online
While having such an amazing range of choices is great, it also means that there are a lot more options to choose from, which equals more decisions that you need to make. Thankfully, we’ve gathered a few useful tips that will make your search for the best casino online in Malta a breeze. First of all, choosing any operator that specifically targets the Maltese market is a great start because they may offer tailor-made bonuses and promotions. In addition, you may want to limit your focus to only those casinos licensed by the MGA or elsewhere within the EU.
An EU-licensed gambling operator will offer you the highest and best quality when it comes to fairness, security and payment solutions, and the EU legislation covers any legal issues you may run into. But, so you can find the perfect casino for you, we’ve compiled a checklist of a few other things you’ll want to look out for:
- Can you play the slots/jackpots/odds/table games, etc., that you want to play?
- Is the site optimized for portable devices such as mobiles and tablets?
- What license are they using?
- Can you easily navigate the site, and is it in English or Maltese?
- Can Maltese players sign up at the casino?
- Are there loyalty programs to take part in if you’re a resident?
We’re willing to bet that you’re probably more excited about starting to play at an online casino in Malta than you are about finding the answers to a bunch of questions, and this is where our casino reviews will come in handy. Our GoodLuckMate reviews will tell you everything you need to know about all of the top casinos. All you need to do is to pick one!
Gambling regulation – Gaming Act
The law governing Maltese casinos is called the Gaming Act, and gambling on the island is controlled solely by the Malta Gaming Authority. Operators are allowed to offer all kinds of gambling options as long as they are licensed, and the Maltese government even recognizes other EU-based licenses as close to or equivalent to the MGA license, meaning operators with EU-based licenses are also able to operate relatively freely in the country. Technically, the same thing goes for land-based casinos. However, since venue owners need additional permits from the government, the number of brick-and-mortar casinos is limited to only four. The country also allows one operator to run under a license that enables them to offer a national lottery.
As a player using a Maltese casino online, you can gamble any way you like and at as many different casinos as you like, as long as you’re not breaching their Terms and Conditions (since these are connected to EU law and licenses). Gambling responsibly is also a big focus in Malta. Although excessive play is not prohibited, operators do have the right to restrict or close accounts they suspect are used in a way that is deemed unhealthy.
Casino in Malta
This Mediterranean island is a center for tourism and entertainment, so it comes as no surprise that there are four licensed land-based casinos located in Malta. Four might sound like a small number, but the selection of land-based casinos is well balanced considering the small size of the country. That said, the majority of gambling happens at online casinos in Malta, rather than at their land-based counterparts.For online gambling, anyone over 18 is allowed to partake in live table games and poker tournaments; however, the rules for land-based casinos are different. Maltese citizens must be 25 or older to enter a land based casino, while the age limit for foreigners is 18.
The experts at GoodLuckMate have years of experience in the iGaming industry, especially in Malta, which means that we can offer you the top casino brands, complete with detailed reviews, tips and tricks. There’s no doubt that your next favorite online casino in Malta awaits you here.
Dispute resolution – can I get help from a third party?
A gambling license is intended to protect players, and one of its main functions is to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes when they come up. If you have a dispute with a casino, and the casino is being unreasonable, the gambling authority will help you. For many licenses, this means you can contact the gambling authority to get help processing your withdrawals, claiming money the casino has debited from your account, or resolving other disputes that might arise. The likelihood that the gambling authority will help you in ways that are effective, however, depends on the procedures they have in place for this. This is yet another reason why choosing to play at a casino that has a safe license is important.
Getting help directly from the gambling authority is not always necessary, or even an option. A lot of regulators have now enforced third-party dispute resolution. This means casinos must have an agreement with an arbitrator who will look into disputes on the behalf of players from a particular casino. This ensures your dispute will be reviewed by an objective third party. All trusted online casinos have information about arbitration on their websites if they use this option, or they’ll have the contact information for the gambling authority you should consult. However, you should always try to resolve your issues with the casino first, and a lot of casinos have separate email addresses specifically for handling complaints.
Secure payments – can I trust a casino with my money?
If you’re worried about the security of the transactions you’re making at a casino, you should look for a logo with the acronym PCI DSS. This stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, and this is something the payment industry has created. If you see this logo, it means the casino can be trusted for safe money transactions since they follow all of the rules set by the payment industry. Information about this can also be found in an FAQ section on the casino’s website.
Another thing to look out for in terms of payments is where your money is kept while you play. Some gambling authorities, all of the best ones actually, regulate what the casino can do with your money while they are holding it. Your money shouldn’t go into a general bank account held by the casino; it should go into an account that is strictly for holding player funds. This means that as long as you have the money in your player account, it can’t be spent by the casino. Your deposit will be kept separate from the operating funds of the casino until your player account is empty, which will happen if you make a funds withdrawal or if you lose the money while playing.Fair gaming – do the games give me a fair chance to win?
The best known system tool for ensuring that a casino offers fair games is eCogra; however, there are other providers that also offer these kinds of systems. You want to make sure that the casino is using a certified third-party control system to ensure that the games of chance you’re playing are actually based on chance and not on other types of metrics. Rigged games are ones that have been set up to pay out less than they claim to or ones that give some players a greater chance of winning than others.
The eCogra logo can often be found in the footer of the casino’s website, but not all casinos choose to display it. If you can’t see this logo, go to the FAQs and see if you can find information about random number generators. If there are no FAQs on the site, check out their terms and conditions or contact the casino’s support and ask how they ensure their games are safe.
Encrypted website – how is my information kept safe?
An SSL-encrypted website should be mandatory for any casino, and very few casinos operate without this or similar safe encryption features. Always keep in mind that you are giving the casino quite a bit of sensitive information, including your payment details. When you’re uploading and sending documents to verify your identity, you want to make sure that no unauthorized third-party has access to them. Site security, therefore, doesn’t only include the website itself but also what the casino does on the backend. You should always look into a casino’s data security. You’ll normally find information about this in their terms and conditions and their privacy policy. If in doubt, contact their support and ask for more detailed information.
Most trustworthy casinos have information about site security in the website footer, so simply scroll down and look for the logo of a well-known security system.
Gambling license – can I play at a casino from my country?
The gambling license a casino operates under will have a big impact on your security. Not all licenses are equally safe for players for the simple reason that they are issued by different gambling authorities that work in different ways and have different rules. The rules and regulations may be quite similar, but the way they are enforced is a different story entirely. For example, if a casino doesn’t comply with the regulations, some gambling authorities may just issue a fine while others may revoke the casino’s license outright. How often gambling authorities show up for an unscheduled inspection or control will also vary.
The biggest differences between a safe, high quality gambling license and one that isn’t as good will usually show up in the areas of fair gaming, dispute resolution and the rules and systems for identifying and handling problem gamblers (responsible gambling). If your country of residence has its own gambling authority, playing at casinos that are licensed by them will be the safest option for you. Other international licenses that can be trusted are issued by the Malta Gambling Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. Curacao eGaming is getting better at protecting players whereas licenses from Panama and Costa Rica, for instance, are considered less safe. The worst option is obviously a casino with no license whatsoever.
Our casino experts have tried and tested all aspects of each and every casino, so you can feel confident when signing up.
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