Malta Gaming Authority has concluded its consultation on revising the Recognition Notice, the framework that lets foreign-licensed operators obtain a Maltese authorisation, and has eased some of the requirements for foreign licences. The regulator published the outcome on 29 October 2026 in its consultation results. Feedback led to a number of clarifications, aimed at keeping the approach proportionate, risk-based and workable for RN holders.
The consultation opened in April 2026. According to the regulator, its aim was to strengthen assessment at the licensing stage and build a more structured and proportionate monitoring regime. The Feedback Statement is dated 26 October. The MGA revised its original proposals after concerns over proportionality, operational implementation, the commercial sensitivity of data and duplication of oversight by foreign regulators.
The first data collection will cover only B2C operators. Reporting for the 2025 period will start with B2C operators, while B2B suppliers are exempt from most of the requirements that had been proposed for consumer-facing operators. Some information may be requested by category, range or threshold rather than as exact figures. The MGA said that part of the information may be requested in categories, ranges or thresholds instead of precise values.
Legal opinions are also changing. Initially the MGA proposed standardised opinions; now the confirmations will be listed separately. Instead of a standard template, the MGA will define which confirmations must appear in a legal opinion.
Some requirements will not take effect without changes to the law. The authority acknowledged that some requirements may not be feasible without changes to the existing system, meaning that implementing the revised regime would require legislative amendments. The decision on amendments rests with the Maltese government. The MGA's ability to tighten oversight may depend on whether the Maltese government is willing to change the legislation on which the system is built.
For operators with a Maltese RN in the B2C segment, this is the first data request, and it concerns 2025 reporting. There will be no first-round request for B2B suppliers. The RN certificate is valid for one year and still requires an annual maintenance review. The MGA has promised to publish detailed rules for practical application later, and the regulator did not give a timeline.
