Player Protection Directive amendments for Malta

The gaming regulator for the small European nation of Malta has announced the launch of a closed consultation concerning proposed amendments to its Player Protection Directive for locally-licensed online gambling activities.

The Malta Gaming Authority used an official Friday press release to declare that it is now seeking feedback to its suggested changes in hopes of being able ‘to strengthen and clarify the current player protection framework’. The watchdog also stated that this agenda will help future initiatives to improve its safeguarding policies including ‘the eventual publication for licensees of detailed player protection guidelines.’

Definitive deadline:

Malta is home to almost 520,000 people while its gaming regulator pronounced that the consultation period is due to close on October 14 so as to give those involved in the local iGaming scene an opportunity ‘to provide their feedback regarding the proposed amendments.’ This move comes only a month after the Malta Gaming Authority published an annual report in which it outlined a tougher approach to the implementation of anti-money laundering protocols for all locally-licensed online gambling firms.

Investigation initiative:

The Malta Gaming Authority pronounced that it is now ‘in the process of conducting detailed research and garnering expert experience’ that it hopes will serve as the foundation for the eventual publication of its improved guidelines. As a first step and the watchdog asserted that it wants to hear back regarding proposed alterations to ‘the responsible gaming policies and procedures’ to which licensees are already subject in addition to the introduction of ‘five markers of harm’ that such firms will be required to use ‘when determining effective measures and processes to detect and address problem gambling.’

Prejudicial position:

As if all of this wasn’t enough and the Malta Gaming Authority declared that it has additionally published a proposed revised set of rules ‘relating to real-money reinforcement and staff training’ that may also be critiqued by all of the nation’s locally-licensed iGaming enterprises. This follows a 2021 decision by the Financial Action Task Force to temporarily place the island country on its ‘grey list’ of jurisdictions that could have deficiencies when it comes to the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing.

Read a statement from the Malta Gaming Authority…

“The amendments are being proposed on the basis of a review of the key sections of the Player Protection Directive carried out by an expert in the field and on the basis of our own research and experience garnered through the Responsible Gaming Unit’s audits and familiarization visits. Kindly contact the Malta Gaming Authority on [email protected] with any queries or feedback regarding this consultation.”