The Maltese gambling licence has the reputation of being the gold standard of any gambling industry. Known throughout the world this legislation falls within the regulatory authority of the Malta Gaming Authority.  

As great as this seems, the application process for acquiring the prestigious Malta online gambling licence for Finnish Malta kasinot is lengthy and complex, not to mention a costly one as well. If, however, you are a well-established brand or a big gaming company this is the ideal place for you to open your doors.

In 2018, Malta streamlined the process by getting rid of the different types of licences and making only two types available to operators – the B2B and B2C licence. In other words, one has the freedom to expand their portfolio and they go along without having to acquire an additional licence, and the terms have been extended to 10 years as well.

If you’re looking to operate a gaming online service in Finland a B2C licence would be appropriate, which can be attained from a registered online gaming certificate provider in the country that would be affiliated with the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA).

There are significant benefits in obtaining this licence, which include: tax benefits within Malta (outside of Malta it is 0.5 per cent of turnover); access to a wider market; advertising possibilitie; player trust; taxation treaties; prestige and stability, to name a few. 

If required to obtain this gaming authorisation in Finland, there are a few steps one needs to take, which we will look at below.  

Acquiring a Malta gaming licence in Finland

First and foremost, one needs to check if they qualify for the licence before proceeding with the application. Aspects you would need to provide would include the below but not limited to: Have the fee amount of plus reoccurring licence fees depending on which country you operate from; a list of all of your financial interests must be produced; a detailed history of any criminal record; details about any involvement in any other commercial or legal activities; any operating software will need to be tested initially for at least 6 months before it being able to be used online; all the financial background information; and all personal background information.

The application process will not cover the licence of the software alone and the reviews mentioned above are part of the process, and all servers must be within Malta. Besides the above, there are a few essential documents and extras that one needs to provide as well. These must all be in English and no older than 90 days, and if they are not in English a translated version must be provided: original bank references of all applicants not older than three months; a detailed plan of the business; a good conduct certificate not older than three months; notarised copies of all passports; an audit of your software, as mentioned above including any third-party agreements. Moreover, one must pass a “fit test” to make sure they are in good health to operate the business.

Any EU country, including Finland, will have to abide by the EU Laws when it comes to money exchanging hands, and anti-money laundering rules need to be followed. All the players are also protected by things such as bankruptcy.

The majority of the European countries have regulations surrounding online casinos and gambling, except for Germany, Finland, and Norway. Finland operates with a monopoly, however, most of these platforms start with a warrant from other regions and end up with a Maltese licence.

Disclaimer: Gambling can be harmful if not controlled. Please play responsibly. For more information visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk.