Malta Licensed Online Casino (MGA)
Obtaining a Malta online casino license is one of the most attractive and high-profile options for solving the problem of legalization for companies operating in the online gambling business. More about the license: Malta was originally one of the first states in Europe to create favorable conditions for the international gaming business.
With the country’s accession to the European Union, the country’s prestige in this area has significantly increased (with the active support of the state). Today Malta is one of the most accessible jurisdictions for starting a company and doing business, and the Malta license has become the most authoritative permissive document for the online gaming community around the world. It is not easy to obtain a gaming license in Malta, since this process requires significant material and time costs. Read more
Most recently, the leadership of the Republic of Malta has created a consolidated organization to control the gambling business – the Malta Gaming Authority. This organization is a single licensing body and issues licenses according to regulated rules within 4-6 months from the date of the application to the company.
Benefits of obtaining a Malta online casino license:
- Stable financial and political status of the state as a member of the EU;
- Good reputation and high level of trust on the part of online casino users;
- Providing additional guarantees and protection measures in the field of the gaming business;
- The prestige and full legality of such a license (Malta is not an offshore zone in the classical sense);
- The possibility of obtaining a residence permit in Malta;
- Attractive tax rates;
Low cost of license fee.
Organizational and legal forms of opening a company:
To obtain a license in Malta, a mandatory requirement is to open a Maltese legal entity. The most popular organizational and legal form for registering a company in Malta is a private or public limited liability company (LLC), since this form provides for the establishment of a limit on the liability of its founders.
Interest rates: taxes and license fees
Since Malta’s accession to the European Union, this state has not been able to boast of low tax rates, however, there are some tax loopholes and advantages for foreign investors in the gambling business. Most of the rules and restrictions of this jurisdiction are aimed at protecting the rights of players, which forms the prestige and reputation of this jurisdiction.
Corporate legislation provides for the placement of the authorized capital of an online gaming company exclusively in Maltese banks on accounts specially created for this.
Corporate tax
Corporate tax in Malta is paid in a fairly large amount – 35% of the company’s income. This is the maximum value compared to other states that provide similar licenses.
At the same time, the taxation regime is not tough and foreign founders who strictly comply with all the requirements for running an online casino business can count on significant discounts and privileges (up to a tax reduction of up to 5%).
In addition to corporate tax, the legislation of the country also provides for the payment of income tax in the amount of 0.5% of the proceeds from player bets. A license for an online gaming business is issued for a fairly long term – 5 years, which is great for long-term investments.
Additional Interest Rate: This is an annual fee that is charged for the right to host an online gaming business. The fee depends on the company’s license class.
Today, the legislation of Malta distinguishes 4 classes of licenses:
- Class 1 – license for online casinos, lotteries, slot machines). Tax: 4660 euros per month in the first six months, then – 7000 euros per month;
- 2nd class – license for bets (bookmakers, sweepstakes, etc.). Tax: 0.5% of the bet amount;
- Class 3 – a license for companies that take a percentage for organizing games of participants against each other (bingo, poker rooms, etc.). Tax: 5% of profits;
- Grade 4 – license for hosting and software development for gambling. Tax: the first six months the fee is not levied, the next 6 months – 2330 euros per month, starting from the second year – 4660 euros every month.
Minimum share capital
For the 1st and 2nd class of licenses, the minimum amount of the authorized capital of the company is 100,000 euros.
For the 3rd and 4th class, the lower limit of capital formation is 40,000 euros.
A special feature of Maltese legislation is the following requirement: the authorized capital of a legal entity must be fully formed before applying for a license in the field of online gaming business.
Prices for registration of a license:
- The cost of an application for a license is 2330 euros (in case of refusal, it is not refundable);
- Annual license fee – 8500 euros per year;
- The cost of renewing the license is 1500 euros (one-time).
- Other requirements for obtaining licenses
