Top Poker Sites for Maltese Players
Since Malta is friendly towards overseas operators, you can choose from various local and offshore rooms. Malta has to offer some of the best poker sites licensed by the country’s authorities. Want to make some cash playing at online poker tables? Here are your go-to options.
| Rank | Poker Site | Deposit Bonus |
| 1 | GGpoker | up to $600 |
| 2 | PPPoker | no match bonus |
| 3 | Pokerking | up to $2000 |
| 5 | Betonline poker | up to $1000 |
GG Poker
Opened in 2014, GG Poker has quickly gained recognition among players worldwide. In addition to a convenient UI and friendly support, the site offers plenty of real benefits, like $1.8M+ in weekly tournaments, hefty promotions, like a 100% match welcome bonus of up to $600, and other benefits.
On top of that, the poker room has obtained a B2B license from the Malta Gaming Authority, making it the best choice for Maltese gamblers.
The rake structure (also known as PVI) isn’t the best on the market, though.
PokerKing
Part of the Winning Poker Network, PokerKing welcomed its first visitors more than 10 years ago. And while the site isn’t licensed by MGA, it offers Maltese players a safe and secure experience. Here you can polish your poker skills playing against amateurs from the US.
The tournament schedule on the site is always busy, with weekly events totaling $3,8M+. Upon signing up at PokerKing, you can claim a 100% match deposit bonus reaching $2,000. The site also features quite a large rakeback that reaches 60%.
Club-Based Apps
You may wonder: why should I even consider club-based apps like PPPoker or PokerBros while living in a country issuing licenses to poker rooms worldwide? (Let’s recall such sites work only via agents across all markets, including gray ones). The answer is quite simple: American, Asian, and Latin American players populate these tables, and nowadays, you won’t find softer games any other place. Top rakeback deals and deposit guarantee by trusted affiliates makes mobile poker rooms a fine choice for true Maltese grinders.
Online Poker in Malta
Considering Malta’s online gambling-friendly approach, you’d expect to find the island dotted with local poker rooms. In reality, most of them have gone online – a whopping 500+ online gambling websites have a license from the Malta Gaming Authority. But you can still test your skills in classic real-life competitions like the “Battle of Malta” series, a no-limit Hold’em tournament held each year.
Competent regulation and liberal taxation create favorable terms for poker websites and Maltese gamblers. The former benefit from the simple and affordable licensing procedure – the world’s most reputable operators, including the owner of PokerStars, have offices in Malta. And players enjoy a wide variety of online poker rooms, both domestic and international ones, with no restrictions. That’s why many poker expats choose Malta to grind.
Maltese Legal Online Poker Background
The basis for the laws regulating online poker in Malta is the Public Lotto Ordinance that dates back to 1932. The regulation received a slight overhaul in the early 2000s, backed by the Lotteries and Other Games Act of 2001. Three years later, in 2004, the Maltese government introduced the Remote Gaming Regulations as an addition to the Gaming Act, establishing four types (or classes) of licenses a casino operator can receive:
- Class 1 – online lotteries and casino-type games (including poker);
- Class 2 – pool and spread betting, as well as betting with fixed odds;
- Class 3 – P2P gaming and betting exchanges;
- Class 4 – a license for software providers.
This means that Malta permits virtually all forms of gambling, both online and offline: amusement and poker games, lotteries, commercial tombola and communication games, various gaming devices, online bookmakers, non-profit games, and so on.
From a players’ perspective, such a friendly environment means freedom to play virtually at any poker site, licensed or not, local or not; hence you can choose wisely where to grind and switch between rooms to take advantage of the best promotions.
The best thing about Maltese gambling legislation is that players are free from any taxes on winnings, so you can enjoy online poker legally and keep the money you won.
Operators need Class 3 or 4 licenses to run a web-based poker room.
Online Poker Taxes in Malta
Adhering to the requirements of a license issued by the Malta Gaming Authority, gambling companies are obliged to cover gaming tax – during the relevant tax period, the operator must pay 5% of the gross gaming revenue it generated from Maltese residents using its online gambling services.
In simple words, gambling sites need to pay a small Malta poker tax of 5% of the funds they make on locals, while residents of Malta don’t have to pay any taxes on the money won.
Available Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
Opting for trusty and MGA-licensed poker websites, players from Malta can choose from dozens of payment methods. The list includes the following options:
- Credit/debit cards: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express;
- E-wallets: Skrill, Neteller, ecoPayz;
- Pre-pay cards: Mint, Entropay, Astropay, PaySafeCard;
- Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, etc.
Deposits are usually quick, taking up to 5 minutes, while withdrawals may take a while, depending on the poker room’s policy.
Best Maltese Poker Players
Despite quite a humble size of the country, Malta has hundreds of poker players, with their total winnings in the live poker circuits going a bit over $3,000,000. The top three positions in the Maltese poker leaderboard haven’t seen changes in years. The best poker players living in Malta:
- Mark Berman (WSOP Circuit and EPT champion);
- Thomas Lind (MPN Poker Tou and Unibet Open champion);
- Charlo Azzopardi (WPT champion).
The online poker field sees more competition, with leaders changing frequently. The overall amount of cash won by Maltese grinders reaches $65M. The two top poker players from Malta in the worldwide leaderboard are Enrico Camosci and Pedro Ivars.
Summary
A wide array of poker sites and no fees for winnings are the major reasons why poker players live in Malta. If you’re looking to play a few Texas Hold’em cash games, check out GG Poker or PokerKing. You’re free to play on the go, thanks to official club-based apps – never miss major poker events.
FAQ
Browse this section to get quick answers to major poker-related questions in Malta.
✅ What is the best poker site for Maltese players?
With such a variety of options, it’s impossible to name the best one. Need a licensed site operating strictly under Maltese laws? Opt for GGPoker. Looking for a high rakeback? PokerKing is your choice. Want soft tables? One of the club-based apps will provide.
✅ What is the legal age to play online poker in Malta?
Maltese residents can start gambling upon reaching the age of 25. Non-residents can play online poker and land-based venues if they’re 18 or older.
✅ Can I play PokerStars in Malta?
Yes, you can. In fact, the Stars Group, the owner of PokerStars, is partially located in the country, operating under the relevant laws and regulations.
✅ What poker sites are legal in Malta?
The top options are PokerStars or GG Poker. If you’re going to find a poker room yourself, stick to platforms licensed by MGA or those with a comprehensive background in the industry.
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