Announcements from Malta and Ireland this week highlight the importance of adhering to gambling regulations. The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has taken action by cancelling Tipster’s licence, while Ireland’s national lottery regulator has withheld €150,000 ($161,000) in payments from Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI).
Tipster’s recent loss of its Maltese license comes after its suspension in Malta and the revocation of its German sports betting license by the German regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL). In the UK, In Touch Games had its license withheld and later revoked due to regulatory failures and repeated fines.
The MGA has deemed the cancellation of Tipster’s authorization as the appropriate measure and has instructed the company to inform its players of the cancellation and settle any outstanding fees.
In Ireland, the National Lottery Regulator has taken action against PLI for breaching its license. It was discovered that closed accounts were not properly deleted, allowing self-excluded users to continue gambling. This marks the first instance of withheld payments due to a breach of obligations, involving 126 permanently banned accounts.
As part of its investigation, the regulator found that 16 players had opened new accounts and 10 had made purchases, totaling €3,292, due to the error. Additionally, four players received marketing emails from the operator.
Overall, these cases highlight the importance of strict adherence to regulations and the consequences that come with non-compliance.