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Casino, betting and skill game operators, and the platforms and studios that supply them, choose Malta for EU-wide reach and a payments sector built around the industry.
Selected engagements from more than 250 licences obtained since 2013, for payment, e-money and cryptoasset firms.
Volkswagen
Payment InstitutionObtained Nexpay’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.
Electronic Money InstitutionObtained Dzing Finance’s FCA Authorised Electronic Money Institution licence.
Obtained Orbital’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.
Our realistic timeline from submission to decision.
Acquiring and payment processing in place alongside the application, so you take deposits from launch.
We assemble your team: the senior managers for each key function.
The licence, the requirements, the cost and the timing for your business.
You will need senior managers for each key function, each certified by the MGA as fit and proper and reviewed on an ongoing basis.
One programme, from scoping to launch. Speak to an expert about this licence.
Requirements, capital, timing, fees and common questions, drawn from the regulator’s own publications.
Operators offering casino, betting, lottery-style or skill games to players (B2C) and the platforms, game studios and critical suppliers that serve them (B2B). Malta’s regime covers the EU single market from an English-speaking base with a payments sector built around the industry.
| Licence | Holder | Share capital |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming service licence (B2C), Types 1 and 2 | Casino and fixed-odds betting operators | €100,000 |
| Gaming service licence (B2C), Types 3 and 4 | Peer-to-peer and controlled skill games | €40,000 |
| Critical gaming supply licence (B2B) | Platforms, game studios, critical suppliers | €40,000, rising with additional game types to a cap of €240,000 |
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | €5,000, non-refundable |
| B2C fixed annual fee | €25,000 (€10,000 for Type 4 only) |
| B2B critical supply annual fee | €25,000 up to €5 million revenue; €30,000 to €10 million; €35,000 above |
| B2B back-office annual fee | €10,000 in the first year, then €3,000 or €5,000 by revenue |
| Compliance contribution, Type 1 | 1.25% falling to 0.40% of gaming revenue; minimum €15,000, maximum €375,000 |
| Compliance contribution, Type 2 | 4.00% falling to 0.40%; minimum €25,000, maximum €600,000 |
| Compliance contribution, Type 3 | 4.00% falling to 0.40%; minimum €25,000, maximum €500,000 |
| Compliance contribution, Type 4 | 0.50% rising to 2.00%; minimum €5,000, maximum €500,000 |
| Gaming tax | 5% of gaming revenue from players in Malta |
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory decision period | No statutory period; 60 days to cure an incomplete application; go-live within 90 days of the licence | Gaming Act 2018 and MGA directives |
| Application preparation | 8 to 10 weeks | From instruction to submission, including banking in parallel |
| Our realistic timeline | 4 to 6 months from submission to go-live | Our own figure, from the regulator’s published data and our applications |
Regulator figures are quoted as published and converted to months. Our realistic timeline assumes a complete, well-prepared application.
| Stage | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1. Application | Submitted with the fee |
| 2. Application review | Completeness; 60 days to cure |
| 3. Fit and proper review | Shareholders, owners, key persons |
| 4. Funding review | Source of wealth and funds |
| 5. Business plan and policies | Reviewed against the directives |
| 6. Technical set-up and system audit | 60 days to implement systems |
| 7. Approval | Go-live declaration within 90 days |
The Government of Malta’s service page gives 19 days for vetting and about three months for the assessment. We plan for four to six months from submission to go-live.
Operators need acquiring, alternative payment methods and accounts for player funds. We open these alongside the application. See banking and payment processing.
Any company incorporated in the EU or EEA, with key functions held by persons certified by the MGA.
€5,000 on application, a fixed annual fee of €25,000 for operators, and a compliance contribution on gaming revenue by game type within published minimums and maximums.
Ten years.
Within 90 days of the licence date, by go-live declaration.
No. Serving Great Britain requires a Gambling Commission licence; we obtain both.
A regulatory advisory firm to payment, e-money and cryptoasset companies since 2013, with more than 250 licences obtained in more than 60 countries. The firm builds licensed payment, e-money, crypto and stablecoin businesses: the licence, the team, the technology, the bank accounts and card issuing.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements and fees change, and the regulator’s own publications take precedence.
The licence, your team, banking and technology, delivered as one programme.