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MGA flags 11 gambling URLs over false licence claims

The August additions follow a July warning over websites impersonating licensed operators, as Malta’s regulator continues scrutiny of unauthorised gambling domains.

2 min read
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Key Points
MGA identifies 11 URLs that it says falsely reference the Authority or Maltese gaming licences
The regulator reviewed 109 unauthorised URLs during 2025, with 42 found to contain fraudulent references 
Malta’s 2026 supervisory programme maintains a focus on compliance, player protection and sports betting integrity

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has added 11 gambling-related URLs to its unauthorised websites list after finding references to the regulator or Maltese gaming licences that it described as false and misleading. 

The domains include Royalgame Canada, Royal-game.org, Totobet, Totobetdash, Pokergame, X3bet UK, X3bet PL, Betportal, Playex and Reddice. Two separate Betportal URLs were included in the notice. The websites were identified at different points throughout August. 

The regulator said it has no connection with the listed URLs and advised consumers to verify an operator’s status through its licence register before using gambling services.  

MGA-authorised operators are subject to requirements covering areas including player protection, while unlicensed entities operate outside those safeguards.

The latest notice continues a series of actions against domains claiming links to Malta’s regulatory framework. Seven other URLs were identified in a notice published at the start of August, following six domains flagged in June.

The issue has also extended beyond websites making false licensing references. In July, the MGA warned of a pattern involving websites impersonating existing MGA-licensed operators. It specifically identified three domains that it said were misleading consumers into believing they were licensed, regulated or otherwise authorised under Malta’s Gaming Act. 

Monitoring unauthorised gambling websites formed part of the regulator’s wider supervisory activity during 2025. Its annual report showed that 109 URLs were reviewed during the year, with 42 found to contain fraudulent references to the MGA or its licensees and subsequently added to the regulator’s public list.

The work sits alongside a broader risk-based supervisory programme. For 2026, the MGA has retained compliance, player protection and sports betting integrity as its three core regulatory themes, with targeted reviews covering areas including crypto assets, esports integrity and operator player-protection reporting.

In July, Global Gaming Insider reported that the MGA issued 19 gaming licences during 2025, while enforcement activity included 35 cease and desist letters, 22 warnings and 30 administrative penalties worth €162,520 ($190,000). The Authority also cancelled two licences during the year. 

Good to know

The MGA’s public unauthorised URL register records individual notice dates and is updated as further websites making false licensing claims are identified

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