Malta Revokes Tipster's License, Ireland Withholds Payments from PLI Over Regulatory Violations

In a week marked by regulatory action, both Malta and Ireland have taken measures against operators for non-compliance with their respective gambling regulations. The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has made the significant decision to revoke the license of Tipster, while in Ireland, the National Lottery Regulator has withheld €150,000 ($161,000) in payments from Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI).

The situation for Tipster has been progressively deteriorating. Following a suspension in Malta, the MGA has now officially canceled Tipster's license. This move comes on the heels of the recent revocation of the company's German sports betting license by the German regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL). As a result, Tipster found itself removed from Germany's white list of approved gambling operators.

The MGA justified its decision by stating, "the cancellation of the authorizations is the most appropriate measure." Furthermore, the authority has instructed Tipster to inform its players about the license cancellation and to settle any outstanding fees with the regulator.

Meanwhile, in Ireland, the National Lottery Regulator took a different but equally impactful course of action against operator PLI. The regulator decided to withhold €150,000 in payments from PLI due to breaches of its license terms.

The issue at hand involved a concerning mechanism that allowed the deletion of closed accounts after just two years. This essentially permitted self-excluded users to potentially resume gambling activities. This marks the first instance in which payments have been withheld from an operator for failing to meet its regulatory obligations.

The specific problem centered around 126 permanently banned accounts that had been self-excluded. The regulator found that PLI should have monitored these accounts more closely and marked them as "permanently closed" to prevent any possibility of users opening new accounts.

To compound the issue, four of these self-excluded players received marketing emails from the operator, a clear breach of responsible gambling practices. As a result of these oversights, 16 players were found to have opened new accounts, and 10 of them had purchased lottery tickets through these new accounts, amounting to €3,292.

These regulatory actions in both Malta and Ireland underscore the stringent oversight of the gambling industry and the commitment of authorities to protect consumers and maintain the integrity of the gaming sector. Operators are reminded of the importance of strict adherence to regulatory requirements to avoid severe penalties and damage to their reputation within the industry.

By fLEXI tEAM