Malta becomes first EU state to publish AI Gaming Charter

Malta’s long-anticipated AI Gaming Charter is now a fact, giving gambling licence holders a voluntary code of conduct to ensure a transparent, accountable and fair adoption of artificial intelligence.

The two bodies responsible for the development of the Charter are the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA), which hinted at a 2026 publication date back at SBC Summit Malta.

It follows an MGA study on the use of AI within the licensed sector, which found that while there is an active engagement with the technology there are uneven levels of maturity, governance readiness, and risk awareness among operators.

As such, only a minority of respondents confirmed they have a formal AI strategy in place, with one still in development across the majority of companies.

Furthermore, the MGA added that AI adoption is very limited across dynamic odds setting, risk management, regulatory reporting, player acquisition, player onboarding, and payments.

By contrast, the most mature use cases involve operational optimisation and data analytics, customer support, and responsible gambling behavioural modelling.

The study concluded that technical readiness for AI remains “relatively positive” across the sector, but responses overall suggest “a mixed and cautious position” towards the implementation and use of AI.

Therefore, the MGA- and MDIA-mandated guidelines set out to ensure that technological progress does not come at the expense of player safety or integrity guardrails, aligning responsible data governance with human oversight to mitigate the risks of AI adoption.

Malta sets clear guidelines on AI responsibility

Licence holders are advised to calibrate their internal AI governance structures in line with the potential impact on players, drawing a clear distinction between lower-impact tools and higher-impact applications.

To safeguard transparency, operators should clearly disclose the role, purpose and limitations of their AI systems in place every time users interact with the technology.

In terms of maintaining fairness, the MGA and MDIA expect licensees to keep a catalogue of their specific fairness objectives, constantly monitor the provision of equitable treatment, and maintain the use of representative datasets.

On data security, companies will be expected to embed privacy protection and GDPR legislation by design into their AI infrastructures.

Another crucial detail around AI governance is maintaining human supervision across the embedded AI decision pathways, with licensees and relevant staff expected to maintain ultimate accountability for all outcomes produced by the use of the technology.

Lastly, operators are encouraged to collaborate with both the MGA and MDIA through workshops, feedback and available technical self-assessment tools to ensure the proper implementation of the voluntary AI Charter.

Kenneth Brincat, CEO of the MDIA, added: “Trust is fundamental to the responsible adoption of AI. As its use becomes increasingly embedded across the gaming sector, organisations need practical ways to understand where AI is being used, manage the associated risks and ensure that accountability and human oversight remain firmly in place.

“The charter translates these principles into practical, sector-specific guidance, bringing together MDIA’s expertise in AI governance and the MGA’s deep understanding of the gaming sector.”