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The MGA Issues Interim Performance Report for January – June 2022

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The Malta Gaming Authority has released its Interim Performance Report for the period between January to June 2022. A review of the Authority’s accomplishments for the first half of 2022 is provided in the report, together with a description of the Maltese gaming industry’s performance over the same period. The latter provides a medium-term outlook towards the future, as well as an analysis outlining important statistics for the land-based and online gaming industries.

Supervisory Activities

  • During this period, 16 compliance audits were conducted together with 114 desktop reviews, accompanied by an additional seven AML/CFT compliance examinations that were initiated by the MGA on behalf of the FIAU. Additionally, the Authority issues a warning, cancelled a licence, as well as suspended another authorised entity, following information which emerged from compliance audits, compliance reviews and formal investigations Furthermore, the MGA issued a total of seven administrative penalties as well as two regulatory settlements, with a collective total financial penalty of €85,000.
  • Enforcement measures were also issued by the FIAU to an additional four licensees, ranging from written reprimands to administrative penalties, with an emphasis on remediation measures, based on the breaches identified during examinations carried out in previous years, including by the MGA. In total, these amounted to just over €386,567.
  • Based primarily on reducing the risk of money laundering or funding terrorism, the Fit & Proper Committee determined that four individuals and entities did not meet the Authority’s fit and properness criteria, while an additional two applications were rejected by the Supervisory Council.
  • A total of 626 criminal probity screening checks were undertaken on personnel, shareholders, ultimate beneficial owners, key individuals, employees, and businesses from the land-based and online gambling sectors.
  • In the first half of the year, 22 interviews with prospective money laundering reporting officers (MLROs) and key persons carrying out the AML/CFT function were carried out, with the aim of determining the knowledge and suitability of each candidate.
  • A total of six letters of breach were issued by the MGA’s Commercial Communications Committee (S.L. 583.09), out of which five operators were deemed to have violated the Commercial Communications Regulations.
  • In its efforts to safeguard players and promote responsible gaming, the Authority assisted a total of 2,578 players who requested assistance, covering the majority of the cases received during 2022 and the spillover from 2021.
  • A total of 22 cases of websites having misleading references to the Authority were investigated, while a total of 13 notices were published on the MGA’s website with the aim of preventing the public from falling victim to such scams. Furthermore, an additional 18 responsible gambling website checks were conducted, and five observation letters were issued.

National and International Cooperation

  • Between January and June 2022, a total of 122 alerts on suspicious betting were sent to the industry. Following correspondence of these alerts, the Suspicious Betting Reporting Mechanism received a total of 16 new suspicious betting reports.
  • Enforcement agencies, sports governing bodies, integrity units, and other regulatory authorities made a total of 23 requests for information, specifically in relation to the manipulation of sporting events or violations of sporting regulations. Subsequently, 10 of these requests resulted in the exchange of data. In addition, 278 allegations of suspicious betting from licensees and other interested parties were received.
  • The Authority participated directly in 12 separate investigations into sports rules violations or manipulation of sporting competitions during the time under review. In addition, the Authority also participated indirectly in another investigation.
  • The Authority sent 64 requests for international cooperation, the majority of which related to requests for background checks as part of an authorisation process. Furthermore, the Authority received a total of 36 requests for international collaboration from other regulators.
  • Up to the end of June 2022, a total of 84 official replies were issued, providing feedback on the regulatory good standing of our licensed operators to the relevant authorities asking for this information.
  • In total, during the first six months of the year, the MGA received just over 100 requests for information from other local regulating authorities and governing bodies.

The MGA will publish a full-year industry performance report during the second half of 2023, when it publishes its Annual Report for the financial year ending 31 December 2022.

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Compliance Updates

IC360 Announces Integrity Partnership with PGA of America

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Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), the unequivocal global leader in delivering best-in-class integrity and compliance regulatory technology products and services for the sports betting and gaming sector, has announced a new partnership with the PGA of America.

Through this partnership, IC360 will provide the PGA of America with its state-of-the-art Integrity Monitoring technology, providing real-time alerts on global wagering activity. Additionally, the PGA of America will utilize ProhiBet, the one-of-a-kind prohibited bettor solution to prevent individuals from engaging in prohibited wagering activities.

“We are excited to partner with IC360, a leader in regulatory technology for sports betting and gaming. This collaboration underscores our commitment to maintaining the highest integrity standards within golf by integrating IC360’s cutting-edge Integrity Monitoring technology and the innovative ProhiBet solution. By leveraging IC360’s expert Advisory Team, we gain invaluable insights as we navigate the sports wagering landscape,” said Jeff Price, Chief Commercial and Philanthropy Officer for the PGA of America.

The PGA of America will also utilize IC360’s seasoned Advisory Team, who will provide consultative services to the organization as they navigate the nuances of the complex and evolving sports wagering regulatory environment. IC360’s team comprises former regulators and seasoned gaming industry professionals who ensure all regulatory compliance standards are hitting the highest standards.

“The PGA of America is a partner that shares the same vision of integrity and fairness in competition, which we promote and aim to protect. It is a privilege to provide this organization with our world-class technology and service, as they continue to showcase excellence in their commitment to integrity and their culture,” said Scott Sadin, Co-CEO of IC360, said.

The post IC360 Announces Integrity Partnership with PGA of America appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Association of Gaming Operators in Kenya Announces New Regulations

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The Association of Gaming Operators in Kenya (AGOK) in partnership with government agencies, regulators and civil society are spearheading a set of proactive initiatives designed to shape the future of the gaming industry and protect innocent Kenyans from addiction to gaming.

In a press release, the Association says nationwide awareness campaigns promoting informed, mindful participation in gaming will be carried out across the country.

Advocacy for tools such as time-out mechanisms, betting and deposit limits will be put in place to ensure a healthy and controlled gaming behaviour among Kenyans.

“The gaming industry in Kenya continues to evolve rapidly, creating opportunities for economic growth, digital innovation, and employment. However, with this growth comes a heightened responsibility to safeguard the welfare of players, particularly young people and vulnerable populations,” the statement by AGOK’s board reads in part.

“AGOK acknowledges the complex challenges associated with gaming, particularly around mental health, addiction prevention, and ethical standards. These are global concerns which members of AGOK take seriously. They are at the forefront of our agenda.”

The Association furthers contends that all its members operate under a “shared code of conduct” rooted in principles of fairness, transparency and social responsibility.

Among meaningful steps it says it has taken to prevent exploitation and minimise harm include putting into place advanced age-verification systems to block underage access, self exclusion tools that provide options for and permanent restrictions to gaming activities and round-the clock toll free helplines that offer confidential mental health and addiction support.

The regulatory measures comes amid calls to regulate the sector following increase in cases of mental health and some suicide cases attributed to betting.

The post Association of Gaming Operators in Kenya Announces New Regulations appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Compliance Updates

Sumsub Maintains Compliance with iBeta Standards

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Sumsub announced that its Liveness solution has successfully passed iBeta Quality Assurance testing in line with the ISO/IEC 30107-3 standard. The evaluation, conducted on both Android and iOS platforms, confirms the solution’s compliance with Level 2 of the Biometric Presentation Attack Detection (PAD) Standard—the solution showed zero mistakes during testing, validating Sumsub’s technology as capable of resisting sophisticated spoofing attempts.

Sumsub’s Liveness solution is designed to detect deepfakes and prevent biometric fraud using advanced in-house AI models. With deepfakes growing 4x year-over-year and now accounting for 7% of all fraud cases, according to the company’s 2024 Identity Fraud Report, robust anti-spoofing technology is critical for safeguarding businesses and users alike. By integrating AI-driven detection tools, Sumsub helps organizations stay ahead of emerging threats and maintain trust throughout the user verification process.

“iBeta Level 2 testing reflects our commitment to trust, quality, and staying ahead of fraud trends. The industry is facing a rise in attack sophistication and scale, and it’s essential that our solutions continue meeting the highest standards. Routine third-party testing like this ensures we’re prepared for these evolving threats,” Vyacheslav Zholudev, CTO and co-founder of Sumsub, said.

The post Sumsub Maintains Compliance with iBeta Standards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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