Malta to regulate daily fantasy sports

The European country is set to become the first to specifically regulate fantasy sports and it will roll out a specific skill game license.

Malta.- Malta is on its way to become the first European country that specifically regulates daily fantasy sports. Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) announced that DFS is exempt from requiring a gambling license, which also means that the European country is the first one to create a specific skill game license. The framework is expected to be passed by the end of this year.

The first step towards the skill-based licensing framework will likely attract an influx of new operators to the Mediterranean island. MGA stated that DFS should not be considered a gambling activity and it should be differentiated in terms of licensing and regulation.

Valery Bollier, CEO of Oulala, said: “MGA’s team had foreseen the rise of a future Skill Game industry in Europe a few years ago. Malta has proven to have a very competitive jurisdiction because of its pragmatism and its ability to adapt itself quickly to the sense of history.”

MGA’s main goal is to protect customers, and the entity has been working for several months on the licensing framework to regulate skill-based games, including fantasy sports.

Bollier said that this legal notice is the first step in a process that will see Malta become the first European country to offer a real skill game license and that’s why it is a very exciting moment for the industry and for Malta specifically. ”Malta being the first major European country to offer a skill game license means it will attract the attention of the entire European DFS market and place itself firmly at the forefront of the DFS revolution,” he added.