Winzon Group’s B2C gaming service licence has been immediately cancelled by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), effective retroactively from 11 March 2026.
The MGA cited ‘proviso to reg. 10 (2) (b) of the Gaming Compliance and Enforcement Regulations (S.L. 583.06)’ in its release cancelling the licence, a special legal provision which allows the authority to bypass the standard 20-day show cause notice period.
Winzon has been instructed to shut down its operations immediately and:
- Notify players of the cancellation via email and on its websites for 30 days.
- Refund all legitimate players and provide the authority with a transaction report with supporting bank statements as proof.
- Process personal data in accordance with its privacy policy and any applicable data protection legislation, including notifying players accordingly.
- Remove MGA references and authorisation from its websites.
- Settle €46,693.23 in outstanding MGA fees (annual licence fee and the minimum compliance contributions owed).
- Pay €147,080 in administrative penalties due to ‘numerous shortcomings in contravention of the Act and regulatory instruments issued thereunder’.
The operator will also ‘remain liable for all applicable obligations emanating from the Act and any other applicable regulatory instrument’.
Winzon had more than 40 websites approved by the authority and had software providers such as Tom Horn Gaming, Oryx Gaming, Booming Games, EveryMatrix and Relax Gaming present on its platforms.
Malta VAT and tax changes
Winzon’s licence cancellation comes as Malta makes changes to its gaming tax following publication of legal notices 84 and 86 from the MGA and the Malta Tax and Customs Administration (MTCA), making the system clearer and more predictable for operators.
Amendments will be made to the VAT Act, clarifying exemptions, implementing place of supply rules and input VAT recovery. Gaming tax regulation changes will also take place.
Gaming tax changes include ‘simplified and equitable gaming tax rates for both land-based and online operators when offering qualifying gaming activities to players present in Malta’, as well as consolidating gaming tax and device levy into a single streamlined gaming tax structure classified by game type and mode of offer.
According to the MGA, changes were led by industry feedback and are part of its 2026 budget, with the gaming tax structure ‘specifically designed to ensure a well-balanced overall impact on Malta’s gaming services sector’.
“Taken together, these coordinated reforms represent a measured and forward‑looking policy response that strengthens Malta’s fiscal resilience, regulatory clarity and international standing as a leading gaming jurisdiction,” said the authority.
“They provide operators with greater certainty and efficiency, while ensuring Malta remains a stable and competitive base for gaming businesses.”
The amendments are planned to come into play from 1 October 2026, with the MGA and MTCA set to issue further guidance in due course.
Want to hear more stories like this? Check out the new SBC Media YouTube Channel, the new home of all things multimedia at SBC, where our team deep-dives into the biggest stories from across the sports betting, iGaming, affiliate and payments industries.