Regulatory Collaboration: MGA and UKGC Responsible Gambling and Sports Integrity

An inside look at the MGA and UKGC licensing authorities meeting to discuss collaboration over responsible gambling, AML, crypto & more! (Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels)

Two of the most respected licensing authorities recently met up to discuss collaboration across multiple layers of common online gambling entertainment rules and regulations.

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), responsible for regulating UK online casinos, and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) joined forces to form amicable cooperation that will cover key elements in regulation such as responsible gambling, sports betting integrity, and anti-money laundering (AML).

One of the key points discussed during the meeting was knowledge-sharing initiatives between the Responsible Gambling teams of MGA and UKGC. Both have long respected one another’s approach to regulating their respective regions and under each of its regulatory frameworks, there are rules for online casinos to include responsible gambling tools.

These tools allow players to set deposit, loss, and bet limits. On top of this, players have reality checks that pop up or constantly show details such as ‘length of time logged on’, ‘game session time’, ‘loss amount’, ‘win amount’, and ‘casino balance’.

On top of this, casinos supply players with ‘responsible gambling pages’ that direct players to GamCare, GambleAware, and other non-profits that help players spot gambling problem issues early as well as offer support to those with a gambling problem. Furthermore, both authorities are hot on the subject of anti-money laundering (AML).

Who attended the meeting? MGA CEO (Carl Brincat), MGA Chief of Policy and International Affairs (Kinga Warda), UKGC Chief Executive (Andrew Rhodes), and UKGC Executive Director for Operations (Kay Roberts) as per the official report here – MGA & UK Gambling Commission discuss a collaboration!

Making Collaboration the Collaboration Official

To solidify their collaboration, the MGA and UKGC discussed the possibility of A top priority to discuss making their collaboration official via a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Such an agreement would provide a framework for continued cooperation, enabling both regulatory bodies to work closely together on matters of mutual interest and importance.

Cryptocurrency & Sports Betting Integrity Discussions

Aside from play protection via responsible gambling tools, there were two more important points discussed where collaboration should, in retrospect, help each authority learn from one another and strengthen their frameworks. These were in regard to cryptocurrency and sports betting integrity.

• Crypto (Blockchain Tech): The MGA shared its valuable experience gained through the implementation of a sandbox environment for Distributed Ledger Technology (DLTs) and the acceptance of cryptocurrencies by gaming operators. Earlier this year the MGA updated its DLT policy reported in the MGA Crypto Framework Update news back at the beginning of February.
• Sports betting integrity: Insights on how to prevent sports betting scandals such as match-fixing and how to sport these activities, as well as their experiences on how to maintain integrity was another important topic covered.
• Anti-money laundering: Of course, this was always on the cards. A topic that aims to keep crime out of gambling. Especially because casinos are seen as a prime target for criminal organisations to launder money due to the cash-based nature of gambling entertainment.

MGA & UKGC Casinos: Online casinos and sportsbooks operating under these licensing authorities are covered on our secure online gambling sites page. Casinos under these licences are considered the most trustworthy online casinos for players from the UK, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and South Africa.

The UKGC & MGA Clearly Respect One Another’s Efforts

One point to note is that the UK Gambling Authority especially respects the MGA as one of its rules is to ban all online gambling sites under the MGA framework from accepting players from the UK. Something the UK appreciates in order to quell the growth of what has been labelled as a ‘UK Black Market of Online Casinos’.

By collaborating and sharing their expertise, both the MGA and UKGC aim to strengthen the commitment of both regulatory bodies to upholding the highest standards of player protection and fair play within their respective jurisdictions.

More about the UK black market: This is a topic I cover regularly. You can find out more about how this affects the UK gambling entertainment market via my Allure of Non-UK Casinos news here.

Should the Curacao Licensing Body Start to Worry?

The UKGC and MGA have similar deals in place with online licensing bodies across the globe. However, the same cannot be said for the UKGC and the Curacao licensing authority.

Currently, the same collaboration between the UKGC and Curacao does not appear to be in place, and there are some online casinos, such as the recently reviewed MyStakes Casino, licenced under a Curacao Public License Certificate and advertises itself as a non-UKGC casino accepting British players.

With the MGA already encroaching on the Curacao licensing authority’s unique cryptocurrency licensing acceptance, and advising the UKGC on how to implement crypto, Curacao will need to begin looking at making its operation more globally friendly in order to interact with overseas licensing authorities.

For now: With the Curacao licensing so affordable at this time, the alarm bells will not yet be ringing. However, if the MGA’s crypto program proves to be a success, then the Curacao Government will need to rethink its strategy and approach to how it regulated gambling entertainment.