MGA Unveils AI Gaming Charter for Ethical AI Use

The MGA has published an AI Gaming Charter that sets out how licensed operators should use artificial intelligence, from player profiling to customer support. The Malta Gaming Authority built the framework with the Malta Digital Innovation Authority after its own research found patchy governance. The charter is voluntary, but it gives a clear picture of where Malta wants operators to draw the line.

What the MGA Found Before Drafting Its AI Gaming Charter

Before drafting the AI Gaming Charter, the MGA studied how its licensed operators already use AI in daily business. The research found the technology at work in operational optimisation, data analytics, customer support and player profiling. Adoption remains uneven and selective, however, with operators leaning on AI for support, monitoring and efficiency tasks far more than for commercially sensitive or player-facing decisions.

The governance side of the study painted a weaker picture. Only a minority of operators have a formal AI strategy or roadmap, and few report their AI use to regulators. Most respondents rated their technical infrastructure as mature or adequate, but data traceability and documentation lagged behind.

That gap matters because documentation lets a regulator, or a player with a complaint, trace why an automated system acted. Without records of what a model does and who owns it, accountability falls apart the moment something goes wrong. The MGA designed much of its AI Gaming Charter around closing exactly that gap.

What the Charter Asks Operators to Do

The core recommendation is a full inventory of AI systems. Under its AI Gaming Charter, the MGA wants each operator to keep a record of every AI tool it runs. Each entry should list the system’s purpose, owner, risk classification, deployment context and lifecycle status. Operators should also carry out AI impact assessments that examine how these systems could affect individuals, specific groups and society more broadly.

The charter also takes aim at “AI washing,” the practice of overstating what an AI system can do or how central it is to a product. That warning has obvious relevance in a sector where marketing leans hard on claims about smart features and personalised experiences. The regulator insists that AI should support existing procedures, professional expertise and human decision-making rather than replace them. Any AI use must also respect responsible gambling principles.

A Voluntary Framework With No New Legal Duties

None of this is binding on licensees. The MGA’s AI Gaming Charter creates no new legal or regulatory obligations, so operators face no penalties for ignoring it. The regulator still strongly encourages adoption as a way for licensees to show a genuine commitment to ethical AI and sound governance.

MGA CEO Charles Mizzi described the charter as a shared commitment between regulators, industry stakeholders and technology experts to promote responsible and transparent AI. He also made clear that the regulator has no intention of stopping operators from innovating with the technology. That stance lets the MGA set expectations early without slowing down tools many licensees have only started to adopt.

The voluntary approach does carry a clear weakness. Operators that already run strong governance will likely sign up quickly, while those with the biggest gaps have little reason to change course. Its real impact will depend on how many licensees adopt the AI Gaming Charter and whether the MGA later tracks that uptake.

Why the Charter Matters for Players

Players at MGA-licensed casinos have the most to gain from the AI Gaming Charter’s focus on player profiling. Profiling models can influence which bonuses a player sees, which games appear first and which accounts the system flags for risky play. A clear inventory backed by impact assessments would make it easier to check that profiling protects vulnerable players rather than nudging them to deposit more.

The human oversight principle carries weight here too. When an automated system restricts an account or triggers a responsible gambling intervention, the charter expects a person to own that outcome. Players have a clear interest in operators following that principle, even though nothing in Malta’s rules currently forces them to.

A First Step for AI Governance in Malta

The MGA has taken a measured first step with its AI Gaming Charter, choosing guidance over hard regulation while the industry’s use of AI is still uneven. The framework gives operators a practical checklist and puts the regulator’s expectations on record before AI moves deeper into player-facing decisions. The real test is adoption, since a voluntary charter only changes behaviour at the operators that choose to follow it.