(AsiaGameHub) – A German researcher alleges that material exposing unlawful conduct was discovered following a hack of the MGA.
Germany.- The Malta Gaming Authority has dismissed allegations of criminal activity made by a researcher who says she infiltrated its systems. In a Friday (March 20) statement, the MGA labelled the hack as “unacceptable and incompatible with lawful engagement with public institutions and established governance frameworks,” also dismissing the unspecified claims as “unsubstantiated”.
The regulator had previously released a statement acknowledging a security breach in one of its systems. Without giving specifics, it confirmed it had activated internal response protocols for an incident it was handling “with the utmost seriousness”.
A German security researcher subsequently took credit for breaching the gambling regulator’s systems. Lilith Wittmann, who identifies as an ethical hacker, stated on social media that she accessed records including operator compliance files and player data, along with material she alleges connects the MGA to organized crime within Malta’s gambling sector.
On Twitter, she posted: “Yes, we will expose the organised crime enablement schemes you created while presenting yourselves as a ‘legitimate public service’.”
She further cautioned that any law enforcement action in Malta would “trigger the immediate release of my entire archive of igaming-related data“.
“I am certain that the information obtained is so valuable for the public discourse that obtaining it will one day, in the not-too-distant future, be seen as a justified necessity,” she added.
The MGA stated in its Friday response: “The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is aware of public statements made by an individual claiming responsibility for unauthorised access to one of the Authority’s systems and making a series of allegations and threats in that context. The MGA condemns any unauthorised access to its systems and any extraction, handling or dissemination of data obtained through such activity. Such conduct is unacceptable and incompatible with lawful engagement with public institutions and established governance frameworks.
“The Authority operates within a robust legal and regulatory framework and carries out its statutory functions with integrity, independence and accountability. Allegations made in the context of unauthorised system access are unsubstantiated and do not undermine the MGA’s role as a regulator committed to transparency, due process and the rule of law.
“For more than two decades, the MGA has operated within established legal and governance frameworks, and will continue to do so. Ensuring that the Authority’s work, and the industry it regulates, operate with integrity and accountability is paramount.”
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