The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) declared on 2 November 2023 that a group of gambling domains has no connection with the regulator, including sbobet.com, fun-88.in and w88kub.com. The notice also covers w88br.com, hthbet619.com, 20winpkr.com, ob9sg.com, vkgame11.site, catcasinosx.com, wuvq4.com and ey6dmx.com:6002, all dated the same day1.
The MGA publishes these notices on its unauthorized URLs list, a running record of sites it says falsely suggest a Maltese license. The regulator's wording on the page is direct:
"The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is hereby declaring that it has no connection with the below listed URLs. Any reference to the MGA and/or gaming license/s said to be issued by the Maltese Authority, as stated on these domains, is false and misleading."
The same page adds that the MGA "would like to remind consumers not to utilize services provided by an entity unless they have ascertained that the entity in question is authorized to provide such services by the MGA," and that unlicensed entities are unregulated and "do not provide the necessary safeguards" of the licensed framework1.
The 2 November 2023 batch is one entry in a list that stretches back years. The dates on the page run well beyond the 2023 notice, so the list is updated continuously rather than fixed at publication.
| Domain | Notice date |
|---|---|
| sbobet.com | 02/11/2023 |
| fun-88.in/in | 02/11/2023 |
| w88kub.com | 02/11/2023 |
| w88br.com | 02/11/2023 |
| hthbet619.com | 02/11/2023 |
| 20winpkr.com | 02/11/2023 |
| ob9sg.com | 02/11/2023 |
| vkgame11.site | 02/11/2023 |
| catcasinosx.com | 02/11/2023 |
| wuvq4.com | 02/11/2023 |
| ey6dmx.com:6002 | 02/11/2023 |
What it means for players
An MGA notice does not by itself make a site illegal to use in any particular Asian market, and it does not mean the MGA has taken action against the operator. It means the regulator says the site has no Maltese license, so any claim of an MGA license on it is untrue. Players in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam who see an MGA seal or license number on one of these domains are looking at a fake license claim, not a real one.
The practical difference is what happens when something goes wrong. A licensed operator sits inside a framework with complaint routes and rules; an unlicensed one does not, which is the core risk of playing on unlicensed sites. The MGA's own wording is that transactions with such entities are "risky for consumers"1. Anyone wanting to verify a license can use the MGA's own register, as set out in our guide to checking a Malta Gaming Authority license, or the general steps in how to check a gambling license.
What happens next
The MGA has not said what action, if any, it will take against the operators behind the listed domains, and no enforcement steps or deadlines have been reported.
Sources1 sources
- Unauthorised URLs - Malta Gaming Authority, mga.org.mt
