The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has taken the decision to cancel the licence of MKC Limited due to its significant breaches of various regulations. MKC, based in Malta, operated the Betworld247 sports betting and casino site under its B2C gaming service licence. However, as a result of this regulatory action, the company is no longer permitted to provide online gambling services under this licence.
The MGA stated that MKC violated several provisions of the Gaming Compliance and Enforcement Regulations, including regulations 9 (1) (c), (d), (i), (l), and regulation 10 (1) (a). These breaches encompassed the failure to make necessary licensing payments to the MGA and non-compliance with financial obligations related to its operations.
Additionally, the regulator highlighted MKC’s failure to fulfill its commitments to customers promptly, although it did not provide further details on this matter.
The MGA justified its decision, stating that one of the suspension grounds outlined in regulation 9 had arisen, and after careful consideration, the cancellation of the authorization was deemed the most appropriate course of action.
Consequently, MKC is no longer authorized to conduct any gaming operations and must immediately remove any references to the MGA and its authorization.
Dutch Regulator Issues Cease and Desist Order to MKC Limited
The cancellation of MKC Limited’s license was preceded by a cease and desist order issued by the Dutch regulatory authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), in September of the previous year. The KSA imposed the penalty order after an investigation revealed that the Betworld247 site was accessible to Dutch consumers without the operator possessing the necessary licences. The KSA warned MKC that failure to discontinue offering games of chance could result in a penalty of €28,000 per week, up to a maximum of €84,000.
The order was issued after a KSA supervisor accessed the site on multiple occasions and found that Dutch consumers could create accounts, make deposits, and gamble freely without any technical measures in place to block them. The site even offered a Dutch language option and allowed users to set their location to the Netherlands, while failing to provide information on Dutch addiction care specialists.
Between June 2021 and May 2022, the site recorded a total of 376,595 unique visits from Dutch consumers.
