How to Check an MGA Casino Licence and Approved Website
An MGA badge or licence claim is only a starting point. The useful check is whether the Malta Gaming Authority’s own register connects the exact website you are visiting to a named legal entity whose authorisation is current.
This guide explains the check without recommending an operator. It also explains why an MGA entry and permission to serve consumers in Great Britain are separate questions.
Quick answer
Use the official MGA Licensee Register or its direct search page. Search for the casino’s exact domain as well as the company name shown in its terms. Compare the register result with the site in front of you.
Check all of these details:
- The legal entity in the register matches the company named in the website’s terms.
- The exact website address appears in the register entry.
- The authorisation status is current rather than suspended, cancelled or otherwise inactive.
- The listed gaming service is relevant to the activity the site offers.
- The website is not merely displaying another company’s licence number or seal.
Do not treat a logo, footer claim or copied certificate as evidence by itself.
Start with the website, not the badge
Before opening a regulator’s register, record the exact domain you are visiting. Small spelling changes, extra words and different domain endings matter.
Then find the operator information on the website. Useful places to look include:
- the footer;
- terms and conditions;
- privacy notice;
- account or payment terms; and
- any page describing regulatory status.
Write down the legal company name exactly as shown. A brand name may differ from the company that holds the authorisation, so searching only the brand can miss the relevant entry or produce an ambiguous result.
If the website does not clearly identify the contracting company, that is a reason to stop and seek clarification before depositing. It is not a reason to guess which register entry belongs to the site.
Search the official MGA register
The MGA says its register can be searched by licensee name, authorisation status, URL or gaming service. Use more than one field where possible.
Search the exact domain
Search the domain without relying on a marketing name. If the address is example.com, look for that exact address in the regulator’s result.
A close match is not an exact match. A different top-level domain, an extra word or a misspelling may point to a different site. Do not assume two similar addresses are covered by the same authorisation.
Search the legal entity
Run a second search using the company name from the site’s terms. Compare spelling, company suffix and any other identifying details shown in the register.
A matching company name without a matching website address does not establish that the domain you are using is an approved URL. Conversely, a familiar brand name may be operated by a legal entity with a different name. The register should provide the connection.
Read the status
Do not stop when a result appears. Read the authorisation status shown in the official entry.
The status is the regulator’s current record at the time of your check. It can change, so keep the date of your search. If the status is unclear or does not appear current, do not turn an old screenshot or cached search result into a claim that the authorisation is active.
Check the gaming service
The MGA register also allows searching by gaming service. Confirm that the entry relates to the activity the website offers.
A regulatory entry should be read narrowly. It is evidence of what the official record lists for the named entity, status, URLs and services. It is not a general guarantee about every product, payment, promotion or customer outcome on the site.
Match the result to the live website
Use a simple side-by-side check.
| Website detail | Official-register detail | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Domain in your browser | Approved URL in the MGA entry | Require an exact match |
| Company in the terms | Licensee or authorised entity | Match the legal name |
| Claimed MGA status | Authorisation status | Read the current status |
| Casino or gaming activity | Listed gaming service | Confirm the activity is covered |
| Date of your check | Live register record | Save the date and result |
Keep a screenshot or PDF of the relevant register result and the terms you relied on. This creates a dated record of what was displayed. It does not freeze the status permanently, so repeat the check if you return later.
What the check does not prove
A correct register match does not prove that a casino is suitable for you. It does not confirm bonus terms, withdrawal speed, game availability, affordability or the outcome of a future complaint.
The check also does not replace reading the site’s current terms. Regulatory status and contract terms answer different questions.
For a separate look at player-protection controls, read our MGA safer-gambling tools guide. If a dispute already exists, use our MGA casino complaint guide.
MGA authorisation is not a UK licence
An MGA entry does not itself show that a business is licensed by the Gambling Commission to serve consumers in Great Britain.
The Gambling Commission’s business register can be searched by business name, trading name, domain name or account number. Its remote-sector guidance says that a licensed remote website or app must display licence details and link to its public-register information.
If a site says it is licensed for Great Britain:
- search the exact domain in the Gambling Commission register;
- match the legal business and trading name;
- read the licence status;
- check the activities and domain information; and
- follow the public-register link displayed by the site.
The Commission’s register states that domain and trading names are provided by the gambling business and that it cannot guarantee third-party information. Treat the register as an official record to inspect, not a promise about every claim made by a site.
Our guide to whether an EU casino licence covers UK players explains this jurisdiction difference in more detail.
Common mistakes to avoid
Trusting a seal without opening the register
A badge can be copied. Open the regulator’s own site and conduct a fresh search.
Searching only the brand
The register is organised around authorised entities and URLs. Search both the legal company and the exact domain.
Accepting a near-match
A similar URL is not the URL you are visiting. Compare the full domain carefully.
Ignoring the status
A result can exist even when the current status is not active. Read the record, not just the presence of a search result.
Treating one licence as worldwide permission
Authorisation is jurisdiction-specific. Check the regulator relevant to the place where the service is being offered.
Assuming a licence proves every marketing claim
Licence verification does not verify bonuses, payment times, game catalogues or suitability. Those claims need separate evidence.
A repeatable five-minute record
Create a short note containing:
- the exact domain;
- the legal entity named in the terms;
- the MGA register result and status;
- the listed gaming service;
- any separate Gambling Commission result for Great Britain;
- the date and time checked; and
- screenshots or saved copies of the records.
If any core detail conflicts, pause rather than selecting the most convenient version. Use the regulator’s contact route if you need help interpreting its own record.
Sources checked
Official sources checked on 9 October 2026:
- Malta Gaming Authority Licensee Register
- MGA direct licensee-register search
- Gambling Commission register of gambling businesses
- Gambling Commission remote-sector guidance
Regulatory records and website terms can change. Repeat the checks before relying on an earlier result.