Tipster set to relinquish MGA licence in coming days following police raid
Regulator confirms operator has not registered Maltese operations since January as firm’s website temporarily shuttered
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has said it expects beleaguered operator Tipster to surrender its licence in the coming days.
Last week, Tipster offices in Germany, Croatia and Malta were raided by police in a mass sting as part of an investigation into suspected illegal gambling and the formation of a criminal organisation.
Tipster has held an MGA licence since December 2011 and was approved as a sports betting operator in Germany in December 2022.
However, in a confirmation email to EGR, the MGA said discussions are in place for the company to surrender its licence, with the process expected to be completed in the coming days.
The MGA said that Tipster’s Maltese arm was not an active part of its operations and therefore the company had not been operational on its MGA licence since January.
The MGA said that since acquiring its German licence, Tipster had not registered any activity under its MGA licence for the past four months.
Following the investigation, which also included the issuance of six arrest warrants by German police for members of the operator’s senior team, Tipster’s website has been temporarily shuttered.
A statement on the site reads: “Dear player, please be informed that the online operations of Tipster have been temporarily suspended due to an unfolding situation.
“We will contact you in due course with a statement of your account.”
EGR has approached the German regulator, GGL, for comment.