Malta’s gambling regulator has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) gaming charter after finding that governance is struggling to keep pace as the technology becomes more widely used across the sector.

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), working alongside the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA), drafted the voluntary charter following extensive surveys and interviews with industry licensees.

That study found that AI adoption across the gambling industry remained uneven. It highlighted customer support, data analytics, fraud detection, and responsible gaming as areas where the technology was already being heavily used.

However, it also found that formal governance of AI was struggling to keep pace with its growing usage. Only a minority of organizations surveyed reported having a formal AI strategy or roadmap. Many said one remained in development.

The MGA also found that only a small number of respondents had fully established AI risk assessment processes or incident-response plans.

Speaking at the launch event, MGA CEO Charles Mizzi emphasized that the framework is meant to foster progress rather than stifle it.

“Our role as a regulator is not to stand in the way of innovation, but to help create the certainty and confidence needed for innovation to flourish responsibly,” Mizzi said.

The charter does not create new regulatory obligations and was designed to complement legislation including the EU AI Act and GDPR.