According to the report, the MGA cancelled 14 licenses over the course of the year, while 20 warnings were issued and 23 administrative fines imposed.

The regulatory body received 89 applications for licenses in the period and approved 53. Meanwhile, 44 applications were either rejected or withdrawn by the applicant.

The number of companies licensed by the MGA at the end of December 2019 was 294, including both online and land-based companies.

Over the course of the year, 48 audits were completed by the compliance and anti-money laundering function, while 1,300 criminal probity screening assessments were conducted.

The MGA also completed a review of its Player Protection Directive and sought “international professional assistance” to strengthen its player protection policies.

Heathcliff Farrugia, CEO of the MGA, concluded that the year had been “very challenging” but also “rewarding for the Authority.”

“The focus on consolidation and the implementation of the Gaming Act, which came into force earlier in 2018, has yielded the desired outcomes,” Farrugia commented.

“The increased focus on compliance and enforcement seen in 2019 will keep growing in the next years.”