MGA discusses collaboration with Britain’s Gambling Commission

The two regulators held a meeting to discuss collaboration in responsible gambling, sports betting integrity and anti-money laundering.

Malta.- The Malta Gaming Authority has reported on a meeting with the British Gambling Commission to discuss collaborative efforts. The two regulators discussed collaboration in the areas of responsible gambling, sports betting integrity and anti-money laundering. 

The MGA’s CEO Carl Brincat and chief of policy and international affairs Kinga Warda met with Gambling Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes and executive director for operations Kay Roberts, who visited Malta for two days. The MGA says they discussed knowledge-sharing initiatives between their respective responsible gambling teams in a “productive” meeting.

They also discussed the possibility of formalising the regulators’ relationship through a Memorandum of Understanding. The MGA said that by working together, the regulators seek to reinforce their “commitment to ensuring the highest standards of player protection and fair play” within their respective jurisdictions. The regulators also emphasised the importance of information sharing in relation to sports betting integrity, AML/CFT and compliance.

The MGA shared the experience it has gained through the sandbox environment it launched for the use of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLTs) and the acceptance of cryptocurrencies by gaming operators. The sandbox resulted in a dedicated policy that was published earlier in the year. Meanwhile, the Gambling Commission provided an update on its progress on the consultations that came out of the UK government’s Gambling Act White Paper. 

Last month, the Gambling Commission published its paper on evidence gaps and priorities for the three years to 2026. The paper lists priority areas of regulation that the regulator has identified as needing evidence-based development.

The regulator plans to conduct evidence-based development in the areas of gateway gambling products, the variation of gambling experiences and the impact of gambling harms.