Malawi regulator in hot water over ‘unethical’ advertising claims

Malawi24, an online news outlet in Malawi, has claimed that whistleblowers have questioned Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority (MAGLA) concerning serious misbehavior by licensed betting firms.

Whistleblowers, the paper says, allege that some operators are utilizing falsified multimillion-kwacha “winnings” to create the appearance that gamblers regularly win big amounts and that these results are subsequently used in aggressive advertising efforts.

One informant who says he had previously advertised one of the platforms informed Malawi24 that they were given a fake account that had over K30 million and which could not be withdrawn nor be utilized like any ordinary customer’s monies.

“They told me to be playing and screen recording my winnings that were altered by them because they knew I was a partner,” the person stated. “The games available to promoters were configured to produce exceptional results only for promotional activities,” the source added.

If true, the allegations would raise questions about the integrity of some of the high-profile wins being shown to the public and would subject MAGLA to intense scrutiny, particularly after the regulator last year took steps to tighten advertising rules and introduce penalties, partly to discourage underage gambling.

At Gamble Alert’s 2026 symposium, during a session titled ‘Selling hope: the effect of gambling commercials on player behaviour’, Akande Adewale, Head of Legal and Compliance at Bet9ja, cautioned that manipulative advertising is becoming an increasing trend among operators.

The Malawi24 report also claims, without proof, that some persons associated with MAGLA might have been paid by operators and some celebrities and TV personalities are involved in the promotion of the scheme; the outlet says it has not independently verified the level of celebrity involvement or obtained proof that any official has received kickbacks.

MAGLA is aware of such tactics but has not taken any action against the operators or enforced its own advertising limits, the person said. 

iGaming Expert has contacted MAGLA and the operators affected for comment.