Author: Christian Farrugia, Senior Corporate Administrator

27th March 2020

Through several notices issued on their official website over the course of this week, the Malta Gaming Authority (the ‘MGA’) informed all licensed entities that the MGA will temporarily be accepting all submissions which are typically required in hard copy, in soft copy. Hard copies may still be sent in the meantime and will be processed when resources are available. The MGA stressed the importance of adhering to certification requirements which remain unchanged.

Where documents are to be certified as true copies, certification must be carried out by an independent natural person who is authorised to do so under the laws of an EU/EEA jurisdiction or other jurisdiction approved by the MGA, such as legal professional, accountancy professional, notary or Registrar of Companies or other registry (or equivalent). The certifier must make a written statement in the English language confirming that the document is a true copy of the original document and that he/she has seen and verified the original document. Furthermore, the certified true copy must be dated and must include the full name, designation and contact details of the certifier.

If the document is composed of more than one page the certifier can either certify each page individually or certify the top of the first page and add a statement detailing the number of pages of the original documentation seen.

Due to the fact that not all documents have specifically allocated fields in the relevant application on the online MGA portal, any documents that do not have such field may be uploaded in the ‘Other Documents’ section.

Furthermore, for licensees whose last concluded financial year ended, or ends, between December 2019 and March 2020, the deadline for submission of the audited financial statements envisaged in Article 41 of the Gaming Authorisations and Compliance Directive (the “Directive”) is hereby extended to the end of October 2020. Nevertheless, by not later than 180 days after the end of their financial year, licensees are obliged to submit unaudited accounts, in order for the MGA to retain continuous visibility over their financial standing.

Should you require any further information or assistance on the matter, please do not hesitate to reach out to us personally on karl.diacono@fenlex.com.

©Fenlex Corporate Services Ltd.

Disclaimer │ The information provided on this Update does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information, content, and materials available are for general informational purposes only.  This Update may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information and you are advised to seek updated advice.