The Board of Governors of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has appointed Carl Brincat as the entity's Chief Executive Officer immediate effect.  The appointment follows a highly competitive selection process which was commenced with the launch of a public call for applications on 17th December 2020, the MGA said in a statement. 

Dr Brincat is a lawyer by profession and previously held the role of Chief Legal & Enforcement Officer within the MGA.  Following three years of training in the field of criminal law, he joined the MGA’s legal team and has been a part of it for over six years, forming part of the strategic direction of the Authority and its high-level regulatory Committees for the past four. 

He sits on the Board of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, and is a member of the Chamber of Advocates (Malta), the International Masters of Gaming law (IMGL), and the International Association of Gambling Regulators (IAGR), and has also been a regular speaker in local and international conferences relating to gaming and international regulatory issues.

Speaking of the appointment, Dr Brincat said: “It is an honour to be selected to lead the organisation at such a critical juncture for the MGA and the industry alike.  I am proud of the work that has been done by the Authority so far in raising regulatory standards and committed to ensuring that we continue along this path. 

"However, it is essential that we cultivate stronger partnerships with other regulators and stakeholders, and the industry itself, to achieve a regulatory environment that accomplishes the MGA’s objectives as set out in the law in the most effective, transparent, and proportionate manner.”

The MGA's former CEO, Heathcliff Farrugia, announced he would not be renewing his contract last October. He had been at the helm of the MGA from 2017.