Artificial intelligence is already deeply embedded inside online gambling platforms, from fraud detection and player monitoring to customer support and automated marketing. But now Malta’s gambling regulator wants clearer rules around how those systems are used before AI becomes even more central to the industry.
The Malta Gaming Authority has opened a public consultation on a proposed AI Gaming Charter, a voluntary framework designed to guide gambling operators on the ethical and transparent use of artificial intelligence across gaming operations.
Developed alongside the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, the charter is intended to complement the European Union’s AI Act rather than replace existing gambling laws.
AI Use in Gambling
The proposal reflects how quickly AI systems have become part of day-to-day gambling operations. Operators increasingly rely on automated technologies for responsible gambling checks, customer interaction, compliance monitoring, fraud prevention, risk analysis, and targeted marketing. AI-driven tools are also being used to identify unusual betting behaviour and streamline internal decision-making processes.
According to MGA chief executive Charles Mizzi, many Malta-licensed operators are already deploying AI systems across multiple areas of their business, creating a growing need for industry-specific oversight and clearer operating standards.
The regulator says the goal is not to slow innovation, but to establish guardrails around how AI systems influence customer-facing decisions and compliance functions.
Focus on Transparency and Human Oversight
One of the biggest focuses of the proposed framework is explainability. The MGA wants operators to be able to explain how AI systems contribute to significant decisions, particularly in areas tied to player protections, compliance, and customer treatment. The draft guidance also encourages companies to maintain human oversight over important actions rather than relying entirely on automated systems.
The consultation highlights concerns regulators increasingly have around algorithmic bias, opaque decision-making, and consumer protection risks if AI tools are not properly monitored. Data privacy is another major component. Since many AI systems rely heavily on customer information, operators are being encouraged to strengthen safeguards around data handling while continuing to comply with broader European privacy requirements.
The charter also recommends ongoing testing of AI systems to identify errors, discriminatory patterns, or unintended outcomes before they create larger regulatory issues.
The Early-Mover Advantage for Malta
The initiative closely aligns with the European Union’s AI Act, one of the first major attempts globally to regulate artificial intelligence through a risk-based framework. Rather than waiting for future enforcement issues to emerge, Malta appears to be positioning itself early by creating gambling-specific guidance around AI deployment.
The regulator has invited operators, compliance professionals, technology suppliers, and other stakeholders to provide feedback during the consultation process, continuing Malta’s long-standing approach of shaping gambling policy through industry collaboration.
