The MGA licence is the most expensive in the ICOS portfolio, and that is not a complaint. It is the only EU-regulated gaming licence we offer, and the application process reflects that. Most consultancies quote EUR 20,000 to EUR 40,000 for compliance preparation alone. ICOS charges EUR 14,000, and that includes four months of post-licence support. Before you make any decisions, you deserve to see every number involved.

MGA Regulator Fees

The Malta Gaming Authority sets its own fee schedule, and these are non-negotiable. The first outgoing is a EUR 5,000 application fee, paid at submission and non-refundable regardless of outcome.

The annual licence fee for a B2C operator holding a Type 1, 2, or 3 licence is EUR 25,000 per year. If you are applying for Type 4 (controlled skill games) only, that drops to EUR 10,000 per year. B2B operators also pay EUR 25,000 in Year 1, with the amount scaling by revenue from Year 2 onward.

Each individual holding a Key Function Certificate is charged EUR 50 per person. With a typical application involving five or more key persons, that adds up quickly but remains a minor line item compared to the rest.

The more significant ongoing cost is the compliance contribution, which is calculated on gross gaming revenue and paid monthly by the 20th of the following month. For Type 1 (casino), the annual minimum is EUR 15,000 and the maximum is EUR 375,000. Type 2 (fixed-odds betting) runs from EUR 25,000 to EUR 600,000. Type 3 (poker) runs from EUR 25,000 to EUR 500,000. Type 4 (controlled skill games) has a minimum of EUR 5,000 and a maximum of EUR 500,000.

On top of this, operators pay gaming tax of 5% on GGR generated by Malta-resident players. Two concessions exist for newer operators: qualifying start-ups receive a 12-month moratorium on the compliance contribution, and new operators may be exempt from the full minimum compliance contribution in their first financial year.

Company Formation and Capital Requirements

You will need a Malta company to hold the licence. Formation costs typically run between EUR 1,000 and EUR 5,000, depending on the corporate services provider and the complexity of your structure.

Share capital requirements are set by the MGA and are not optional. A B2C Type 1 or Type 2 operator must have a minimum of EUR 100,000 paid-up share capital. Type 3 or Type 4 operators need a minimum of EUR 40,000. The maximum cap across all types is EUR 240,000. This is equity in your company, not a fee that disappears. It sits on your balance sheet.

Before you go live, your system must pass a technical audit carried out by an MGA-approved authorised service provider. The cost of that audit varies considerably: EUR 5,000 to EUR 30,000, depending on the scope of your platform and how many game verticals you are launching with. Operators who try to cut corners at this stage often end up paying more through remediation cycles.

After your first year of operation, the MGA requires a compliance audit. This is typically due within 90 days of receiving the MGA notice, and the cost runs from EUR 4,500 to EUR 13,500 depending on the size and complexity of your operation.

ICOS Service Fee

ICOS charges EUR 14,000 as a one-time fixed fee for the full MGA application. That fee covers the entire application lifecycle, which typically runs five to eight months from initial engagement to licence grant.

Within that fee, you get: system documentation preparation, a detailed business plan with financial projections, a complete AML/CFT framework, responsible gaming and player protection policies, key function nominations for five or more persons (each with full due diligence packs), LRMS portal submission, and management of all MGA requests for further information throughout the review period. We also provide system audit preparation guidance so that your technical submission is in the best possible shape before the ASP gets involved.

The four months of post-licence support that follow are included in the same EUR 14,000. During that period, we handle your first monthly Tax Report filings (due by the 20th of each month), Player Funds Report preparation with bank statement evidence, ADR Report setup, compliance contribution calculation and payment, CMS portal familiarisation, and any queries that come in from the MGA during the initial operating period.

Consider what that means in practice. The MGA process involves five to eight months of active project work, followed by four months of post-licence support. That is potentially twelve months of ICOS engagement for a single fixed fee of EUR 14,000.

Total Year 1 Cost (ICOS Package, B2C Type 1)

The table below shows the realistic cost range for a B2C Type 1 operator in Year 1 using the ICOS service.

The EUR 100,000 share capital must be paid up and verified, but it remains equity in your business. It is not consumed by the application. Operators qualifying under the MGA start-up concession may be exempt from the compliance contribution minimum in Year 1, which would reduce the lower end of that range to EUR 50,250.

Year 2 and Beyond

Year 2 introduces a different cost profile. The application fee is gone, but the annual licence fee, compliance contribution, compliance audit, and financial reporting obligations all crystallise at once.

The IFRS-compliant audited financial statements are a firm regulatory requirement and cannot be deferred. Your auditor will also need to produce a Player Funds Declaration and Management Letter within nine months of your year end.

What the Monthly Retainer Covers

The MGA retainer is the most intensive of the four jurisdictions ICOS works with. The MGA generates more regular filing obligations than Anjouan, Nevis, and Curaçao combined. Operators who underestimate this typically find themselves out of compliance within six months of going live.

The retainer covers monthly Tax Report preparation and submission by the 20th, the monthly Player Funds Report with supporting bank statement evidence, the monthly ADR Report, and monthly compliance contribution calculation and payment coordination.

Beyond the monthly cycle, the retainer includes Industry Performance Returns (H1 due by 7 September, H2 due by 28 February), Interim Financial Report coordination within two months of the mid-year end, Annual Financial Report coordination within two months of year end, and Audited Financial Statements coordination within six months of year end.

We also track the annual licence fee payment due on 15 January, manage Key Function Certificate renewals, run automated weekly checks for MGA regulatory updates, update your policies when MGA frameworks change, and respond to MGA information requests on your behalf.

The Annual Contract Option

If you commit to the annual contract, the monthly retainer drops from EUR 1,200 to EUR 950, paid upfront at EUR 11,400. That is a saving of EUR 3,000 per year compared to monthly billing.

Sign the annual contract before your four included support months expire, and month five is free. You get thirteen months of retainer coverage for the price of twelve.

For operators who plan to take the MGA licence seriously as a long-term business asset, the annual contract is straightforwardly the better option.

Why the MGA Premium Is Justified

The MGA licence is the only one in the ICOS portfolio that carries EU regulatory recognition. That status opens doors that other licences cannot. EU-regulated payment processors have different onboarding criteria for MGA operators. Institutional banking partners treat MGA-licensed operators differently at the credit and account-opening stage. And the ability to operate in EU member states, subject to local licensing requirements, is a structural advantage that Curaçao or Anjouan simply cannot replicate.

If your target market includes European players, the MGA is not really optional. The payment processing and banking challenges that come with offshore licences in regulated EU markets will cost you more in time and lost conversion than the premium you pay for the MGA. If your target market is rest-of-world, Nevis or Curaçao will serve you at a fraction of the cost, and ICOS can walk you through those numbers too.

What Is Not Included

For clarity, the following costs are outside the ICOS EUR 14,000 service fee:

• MGA application and licence fees (paid directly to the MGA)
• Share capital (your company equity)
• Malta company formation government fees
• System audit fees (paid directly to the ASP)
• Compliance audit fees (paid directly to the ASP)
• Auditor fees for financial statements
• Platform, game provider, and payment processing costs
• GLI or BMM certification where required for specific game types

None of these are hidden. They are third-party costs that no consultancy controls, and any firm quoting a single all-in number without itemising them separately is folding them into a margin.

Get a Confirmed Quote

If you want to confirm what the MGA process will cost for your specific structure, the intake form takes three minutes to complete. You will receive a confirmed quote within 24 hours.