Prediction Market Operators Are Applying for Malta Gambling Licenses, MGA CEO Says

Prediction markets are getting closer to joining regulated European gambling markets. Malta is becoming one of the first places where operators are actively applying for licenses.

Charles Mizzi, CEO of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), said at the Global Prediction Markets Forum in Lisbon on October 1, 2026, that prediction-market companies have already started applying for Maltese gambling licenses.

“There is a lot of interest. Over the last months, we’ve seen huge interest from operators. We’ve had a lot of discussions with them,” Mizzi said. When asked if companies were moving forward with licensing, he replied, “They are applying.”

These comments mark an important change in the European debate about prediction markets. Until now, most of the discussion focused on whether event contracts should be seen as gambling, financial instruments, or something new that needs its own rules.

Malta is now showing what happens when a theoretical debate turns into a real licensing issue.

So far, the MGA has not publicly confirmed granting any prediction-market licenses, according to Mizzi. What is clear is that applications and regulatory talks are happening.

Malta Says Prediction-Market Users Are Bettors, Not Traders

The most important part of Mizzi’s comments may not be the applications themselves, but how Malta views prediction markets.

Mizzi described prediction-market participants as bettors rather than traders.

This suggests the MGA clearly sees prediction markets as gambling, a key point in the ongoing regulatory debate.

These platforms let users bet on whether certain events will happen. The markets can include elections, economic news, sports, politics, and many other measurable outcomes.

Supporters who see prediction markets as financial products argue that participants trade contracts, and prices change with new information and shifting expectations.

The gambling view is different. Here, a person bets money on an uncertain future event and gets paid if it happens. From this angle, it looks like betting, even if the app uses words like “buy,” “sell,” “market,” or “contract.”

Malta seems more comfortable with this gambling interpretation.

Gibraltar and Malta Are Taking Different Views

Europe still lacks a single definition.

Andrew Lyman, Gibraltar’s Gambling Commissioner, took a different position during the Lisbon discussion, describing prediction-market participants as traders rather than bettors.

This disagreement is important.

Two well-known European gambling regulators can look at the same new product and come to different conclusions about what customers are actually doing.

The distinction affects much more thThis difference is about more than just words. It can affect licensing rules, responsible gambling measures, marketing limits, age checks, anti-money laundering steps, customer fund safety, and how prediction market apps are designed.lator ultimately has authority over a platform.

Why Malta Already Has a Framework That Could Fit Prediction Markets

Malta may not need to create a brand new license category to consider prediction-market businesses.

The MGA’s existing regulatory structure includes a Type 3 gaming service, covering pool betting, betting exchanges, peer-to-peer products and commission-based games.

This framework is especially relevant for prediction markets that work as exchanges.

Instead of acting as a traditional sportsbook and accepting the opposite side of every bet, an exchange can match participants taking different positions and collect a commission for facilitating transactions.

These similarities give Malta a possible way to regulate some prediction-market models without completely changing its gambling rules.

However, operators should not assume this means automatic approval.

The MGA still reviews each applicant, their products, technology, ownership, compliance systems, and finances. Just applying does not guarantee approval.

Prediction Markets Could Become a New Category of Gambling App

At CasinoAppReview.com, one key question is what will happen if prediction markets become part of regulated gambling systems.

Prediction-market apps do not always work like regular sportsbook or casino apps.

Their interfaces can look like trading apps. Users might see changing contract prices, market depth, positions, charts, order histories, and constantly updated odds.

This creates a unique mix of financial technology and gambling user experience.

If the MGA licenses these products, developers may need to blend trading-style interfaces with standard gambling compliance systems.

Features like age and identity checks, geolocation, deposit limits, responsible gambling tools, transaction monitoring, and self-exclusion could become even more important in prediction-market apps.For users, the line between a betting app and a trading app could become much less clear. Mobile UX Could Become a Major Regulatory Issue

This debate about classification also creates challenges for product design.

Language matters.

An app that calls users “traders,” positions “contracts,” and activity “markets” can feel very different from one that uses regular sportsbook terms.

Regulators may eventually look at whether these interfaces clearly show financial risks and the chance of losing money.

Notifications are another possible concern.

Prediction markets work well with real-time mobile alerts because contract prices can change right after breaking news, election results, economic updates, or sports events.

Push notifications can be a strong way to keep users engaged. But they might also draw regulatory scrutiny if they encourage too much or impulsive activity.

The same issues that affect sportsbook personalization and responsible gambling could soon apply to prediction-market apps too.Does Not Provide an Automatic Passport Across Europe

A Maltese license would be valuable for business, but it would not give prediction-market operators free access across the European Union.

Online gambling rules are still mostly set by each country.

Operators still have to check the laws in each country before taking customers, advertising, or launching apps there.

This fragmentation is already clear.

Prediction markets are encountering very different regulatory responses across Europe, and the debate over whether they belong under gambling or financial regulation remains unresolved.

So, Malta might offer a regulated base for operations, but it doesn't solve the broader European classification issue.

This matterThis is especially important for mobile apps. An operator might have the tech to launch the same app worldwide, but the legal ability to acquire users and serve certain markets differs by country.ld Become Europe’s Prediction-Market Testing Ground

Malta’s impMalta’s role is bigger than just the current applications going to the MGA. The jurisdiction could become an early European testing ground for whether prediction markets can operate successfully inside a conventional gambling regulatory framework.

If the MGA approves any operators, other regulators can watch how these companies handle customer checks, responsible gambling, market fairness, payments, mobile design, and consumer protection.

Operators will also be watching closely.

If licensing works well, more prediction-market companies might look at European gambling licenses instead of waiting for new rules.

This would be a big strategic shift for an industry that has often compared itself to financial exchanges.

What Happens Next?

The next thing to watch is whether any of the applications Mizzi mentioned actually lead to MGA licenses.

Until that happens, Malta’s stance should not be seen as full regulatory approval for prediction markets.

But something important has shifted.

Prediction markets are no longer just talking about European regulation from the outside. Companies are now going to an established EU gambling regulator and trying to join the regulated system.o and betting apps, that could eventually create a new product category sitting somewhere between a sportsbook, an exchange, and a financial-trading platform.

Malta may be one of the first places where regulators decide what this new category should look like.