Malta Gaming Authority Develops Charter on the Responsible Use of AI

Developed in partnership with the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has published a new “AI Gaming Charter,” which aims to encourage gambling operators who use AI to do so ethically. What Does the Charter’s Research Say? The charter follows an MGA study examining AI use among Malta’s licensed gambling operators. According to it, AI is increasingly being used in various gambling operations, such as operational optimization, data analytics, customer support, and player profiling. However, the charter also notes a gap in AI governance and a lack of regulatory reporting of its use. Commenting on the launch of the charter, MGA CEO Charles Mizzi said the document represents a “shared commitment” among regulators, industry stakeholders and technology experts to promote the responsible and transparent use of AI. He also stressed that the regulator did not intend to prevent operators from innovating through the use of AI. The research found that AI adoption remained “uneven and generally selective rather than widespread”. It also showed that AI was being adopted more readily for support, monitoring and efficiency functions than for commercially sensitive or player-facing decision-making. The study also identified gaps in AI governance, with only a minority of operators reporting having a formal AI strategy or roadmap in place, highlighting a gap in transparency and accountability. While most respondents considered their technical infrastructure to be mature or adequate, more advanced practices around data traceability and documentation were less consistently implemented. What Does the MGA’s Charter Suggest? It should be noted that the framework the AI Gaming Charter suggests is voluntary and does not create new legal or regulatory obligations for operators. However, the MGA still strongly encourages them to adopt the framework as a demonstration of their commitment to ethical AI use and sound governance. Under the charter, the MGA recommended that operators maintain an inventory of their AI systems, detailing each system’s purpose, ownership, risk classification, deployment context and lifecycle status. It also called for AI impact assessments to examine the potential effects of these systems on individuals, groups and society more broadly. The charter further cautioned operators against “AI washing,” which means overstating the role, capabilities or significance of AI systems. It emphasised that AI should complement, rather than replace, established procedures, professional expertise and human-led decision-making, while remaining aligned with responsible gambling principles. In other news about AI use in the gambling scene, an unlicensed Alberta casino used an AI-generated ad of Alphonso Davies to promote its illicit business.