Malta Gaming Authority Survey Highlights AI Oversight Gaps as Voluntary Charter Takes Effect
The MGA survey shows AI adoption in Malta gaming centers on chatbots, fraud detection and operational analysis, with KYC and payments rare. The voluntary 48-page AI Gaming Charter published September 18, 2026, sets six guidance areas and classifies tools by player impact. It provides a non-mandatory model as the UKGC weighs its own rules.
SCCG Take — Operators must close gaps in data lineage, bias testing and supplier transparency or risk stricter mandates. The voluntary approach buys time but signals rising regulatory expectations on AI accountability.
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has published its AI Gaming Charter following a survey that shows artificial intelligence adoption in the jurisdiction remains focused on low-impact functions. Released on September 18, 2026, the 48-page voluntary framework was developed with the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) after consultations with licensees and technology specialists. It identifies clear shortfalls in governance while classifying AI tools by their potential effects on players.
Customer support chatbots represent the most established player-facing use, with machine learning also applied to fraud detection, anti-money laundering monitoring and responsible gambling assessments. Personalisation tools for marketing see more limited deployment. Automated KYC checks, payments, dynamic odds and AI-powered live casino applications remain among the least adopted.
Survey Reveals Shortfalls in Documentation and Risk Controls
Most respondents viewed their technical infrastructure as adequate. Far fewer maintained formal AI strategies or comprehensive risk-management procedures. Data governance policies on access, ownership and retention exist at many licensees, yet fewer could show data lineage tracking the origins of information fed into models.
Bias testing, impact assessments and employee training lag. Only a small number of operators reported fully established AI risk-assessment and incident-response arrangements. A transparency gap emerged with third-party suppliers: only one supplier respondent provided clients with documentation explaining how its AI systems function. This limits operators' ability to account for external tools used in fraud detection or responsible gambling services.
Charter Sets Six Voluntary Principles Without New Legal Duties
The document outlines six areas of guidance: transparency, fairness, sustainability, data protection, human responsibility and technical reliability. It warns against AI washing, where conventional software is presented as artificial intelligence. Systems are classified by impact level, with player-influencing applications such as account restrictions or fraud monitoring subject to closer review.
Chatbots must identify themselves as AI at the start of interactions. Conversations involving vulnerability or gambling harm require escalation to human staff. MGA CEO Charles Mizzi said: “The AI Gaming Charter reflects a shared commitment between regulators, industry and technology experts to promote the responsible and transparent use of artificial intelligence. Our role as a regulator is not to stand in the way of innovation, but to help create the certainty and confidence needed for innovation to flourish responsibly.” MDIA CEO Kenneth Brincat stressed the need for practical methods to identify AI applications, manage risks and maintain accountability.
The Charter complements the EU AI Act and GDPR without adding legal obligations. It arrives as the UK Gambling Commission develops its own AI governance policies. Malta's framework supplies one reference point for regulators weighing similar steps, according to Casino News Daily. Operators now face a practical choice on whether to treat the voluntary principles as a baseline before requirements harden.
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