UKGC Vs. MGA: Who will Win?
Undeniably, the gambling industry is accelerating at an amazing rate, making it one of the most attractive entertainment activities today. Online gambling is popular among players with too many online casinos and betting sites to choose from. Evidently, the more popular something becomes, the more sophisticated it can be.
As gambling is related to money, managing it should be improved to ensure a transparent gambling environment. That is probably the reason why several regulators were launched to license and regulate businesses within this sector. When it comes to the regulatory bodies, the most reputed are the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Both have maintained strict rules in order to make gambling safer and fairer. If they can be compared, who will be awarded?
Features of the UK Gambling Commission
The UK Gambling Commission was set-up under the 2005 Gambling Act in 2007 and has the main role to regulate and oversee all the gambling activities within the United Kingdom. The operators who want to offer remote and non-remote services in this sovereign country must hold licences from this powerful entity. Since 2014, the UKGC has applied strict rules in the goal to protect the customers.
Licences. The British Gambling Commission regulates gambling businesses, including UK licensed casino sites and land-based venues. The land-based gambling fields are poker rooms, bookmakers, casinos, and more. As for online gambling, it contains online casinos, online sports betting, and online lottery. These licences include:
- The Non-Remote Gambling Software Operating Licence which allows the engaged operators to develop, install, and adapt the gambling software.
- The second licence is the Remote Gambling Software Operating Licence which permits the companies to supply simple online gambling or other means of remote communication to the local consumers.
Regulations. Apart from providing licences, this British regulator also regulates the businesses engaged in offering gambling activities. This entity often releases new rules in order to implement a secure, fair, and safe gambling environment there. One of the recent rules came into force on May 7, 2019, that encompasses the procedures of the age and identity verification for online operators. In fact, it has the goal to make sure if the operators can verify their customers’ age and identity effectively and quickly.
Features of MGA
Since Malta is the best destination of the iGaming, its regulatory authority was released to ensure fair and crime-free gambling activities. Originally called the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA), Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) was formed when the Maltese Government passed the Lotteries and Other Games Act in 2001.
* Licences. The MGA was among the first regulators to regulate the online gambling operators as well as to secure the players. Actually, it issues four licences depending on the types of gambling activities:
- Land-based casino games, online casino games, skill games, and online lotteries.
- Activities related to fixed-odds betting, pool betting, and spread betting.
- Control skill games including fantasy sports
- All the gambling operators participate actively in the progress of the gambling sector in Malta.
* Regulations. Since MGA is among the renowned regulatory entities, it has applied many approaches to ensure a well-regulated gambling market not only for the Maltese companies but also for the world’s remote gaming operators. Malta Gaming Authority is responsible for the regulations of its licence holders; therefore, this body frequently updates its rules appropriate to both the customers and the companies.
Conclusion
As the gambling industry has become a global fast-rising field, frequent innovations and strict regulations are foremost. Both the UKGC and MGA have built their reputation among the consumers since they establish gambling safety and transparency.
Thus, several companies that conduct any gambling activities hold a licence issued by the UKGC or/and MGA. All in all, they cannot be compared because they are both the most trustworthy regulatory authorities guaranteeing a fair gambling experience to the players and an improved name to the operators.
