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Licensing & Regulation
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Whose Money Is a Casino Balance? Player Funds, Regulation 6 and the 90% Coverage Rule Under MGA Licensing
Money sitting in an account at a Malta licensed casino is not the operator's money. Maltese law classifies a player's withdrawable balance, credited winnings and stakes still waiting on an outcome as a separate patrimony that belongs to the player, held by the operator only in an administrative capacity. That classification is what decides who gets paid if the operator collapses, and it is the least discussed part of the Malta Gaming Authority's framework. Three Instruments, One Rule The protection does not sit in a single document. It is spread across three layers that work together. Instrument What it contributes Gaming Act (Chapter 583) Defines player funds and the player funds account Gaming Player Protection Regulations Ownership, segregation, creditor protection MGA Player Protection Directive Coverage ratios, account approval, supervision The MGA's own guidance points to a s…
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MGA Licences Explained: What a B2C Operator and a B2B Game Supplier Are Each Authorised to Do
The Malta Gaming Authority issues two licences, and the split between them explains most of how a Maltese online casino is put together. A Gaming Service Licence is the business to consumer (B2C) authorisation held by the operator that takes the player's money. A Critical Gaming Supply Licence is the business to business (B2B) authorisation held by the supplier behind it: the game studio, the platform, the systems that generate and store regulatory records. The player only ever sees the first licence. Much of what the player is actually playing is governed by the second. The legal frame Both licences sit under the Gaming Act (Cap. 583), in force since 2018, and the Gaming Authorisations Regulations (S.L. 583.05). The 2018 framework replaced the earlier system of concessions and multiple licence classes with the present two licence structure, and extended licence validity from five yea…