Lottery tickets are legal in Malta under an exclusive concession system established through the Lotteries and Other Games Act. Malta's National Lottery was set up as a government monopoly in 1934, with all National Lottery Games including Lotto, Super 5 and Grand Lottery currently operated by National Lottery plc (1). The company was granted a ten-year concession by the Ministry for the Economy, European Funds and Lands in March 2022, and subsequently received the National Lottery Licence from the Malta Gaming Authority on July 5, 2022.
The Malta Gaming Authority supervises and regulates all lottery operations to ensure compliance with the legislative framework and fair gaming practices. The Authority's functions include issuing National Lottery licences, supervising licensees to ensure compliance with licence terms and conditions, regulating gaming devices, and receiving complaints from consumers relating to games (2). The regulatory body ensures that games are operated fairly, kept free from criminal activity, and conducted in accordance with Malta's gaming laws and directives issued by the Authority.
"The National Lottery Licence shall be valid for a ten-year term until July 2032 and the MGA shall regulate and supervise the operations of National Lottery plc as the National Lottery Licensee."
National Lottery games may only be sold to persons aged eighteen years or older, with violations constituting an offence under Maltese law (2). The Authority exercises comprehensive oversight powers including attending and validating draws, ensuring gaming devices are secure and satisfactory, and investigating complaints by consumers. While National Lottery plc enjoys exclusivity for land-based lottery operations, the concession holder does not have exclusive rights to operate online lotteries, allowing other licensed operators to offer online lottery services under separate licensing arrangements regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority.
Source:
https://www.mga.org.mt/licensee-hub/applications/b2c-licences/national-lottery-licence/
https://www.fbsmalta.com/docs/lotteries%20and%20other%20games%20act.pdf
Last updated: 16-10-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
