The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has once again publicly denied the so-called "authorization information," marking the third instance since 2025 of unauthorized platforms impersonating MGA licenses. The latest incident involves unauthorized promotions targeting the Indonesian market, particularly using the name of Pocket Games Soft.
Reportedly, two suspicious websites falsely claimed that Pocket Games Soft games were authorized by MGA and embedded the MGA logo on their pages. The platforms promoted mobile games including "Mahjong Ways" and "The Great Icescape." One of the websites was completely unable to load, while the other displayed the game interface, MGA logo, and Pocket Games Soft brand at the bottom of the screen.
MGA stated in its declaration: "Any mention of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and its issued licenses on the aforementioned websites is false and misleading."
Indonesian Market Risks
The incident has drawn particular attention because Indonesia implements a comprehensive ban on gambling. Nevertheless, these unauthorized platforms continue to target local consumers, increasing regulatory compliance pressure. Due to the lack of regulatory safeguards, consumers face extremely high risks in transactions and rights protection on such platforms.
Repeated Misuse Pattern
This is the third time in 2025 that MGA has encountered similar misuse. In April of this year, the agency refuted the false licensing claims of the online casino casinowinner.io; earlier, the Malaysian operator God55 even claimed to have an MGA license during its collaboration with Birmingham City Football Club. Subsequent investigations revealed that it was completely unauthorized.
These cases show that false regulatory endorsements are often used by illegal operators to gain business cooperation or win player trust. God55 even claimed to be "one of the world's most trustworthy online gambling brands," further illustrating how false license claims could help unauthorized entities appear legally legitimate in the market.
Consumer Warning
MGA emphasizes that the risks associated with dealing with unlicensed operators should not be overlooked and once again reminds users: "Do not use the gambling services provided unless you are sure that the entity has been officially authorized by MGA."
The agency pointed out that unauthorized platforms cannot provide consumer protection under the Maltese gambling system, including financial security, dispute resolution, and fairness supervision.
From a global perspective, the proliferation of false licenses reflects the trend of illegal operators exploiting regulatory vacuums or consumer information asymmetry to penetrate restricted markets. This pattern not only erodes industry credibility but can also cause severe economic losses to players.
