Imagine taking the world's oldest and consistently profitable sector of the entertainment industry and delivering it to hundreds of millions of individuals throughout an international marketplace, via the fastest growing telecommunications medium ever known.

Undeniably, the Internet is rapidly revolutionising the way people communicate around the globe. And this is just the beginning. Easy access and worldwide availability ensure that Internet use will continue to enjoy explosive growth as more and more individuals turn to the Internet for information, entertainment and commerce.

History shows that gaming, in one form or another, whether sports, dice or chariot races, has been a part of nearly every culture. Clearly, the merger of gaming with technology is an obvious match destined for success. Gambling has proved to be an enduring human trait and has been considered an exciting form of socially acceptable entertainment for thousands of years.

People love casino gaming and sports wagering primarily because they are driven by a natural competitive instinct. Betting on their favourite games or their favourite teams is a way of being part of the game, in on the action. With online gaming, a simple point-and-click, allows patrons to participate in this unique modern-day entertainment experience. This saw the birth of the online gaming industry, better known as iGaming.

Just like any other industry, from very humble beginnings, the online gaming industry in Malta has now started to gain ground and is beginning to have a serious impact on the country's economy. iGaming in Malta can be said to be still in its infancy. However, with the right environment being created by the government in order to attract more investment, the industry will soon flourish.

Online gaming was hardly ever heard of (in Malta) before 2000, when the Maltese authorities started issuing licences to foreign business operators based in Malta to start accepting online bets.

This was just the beginning; before long the Maltese authorities realised that the iGaming industry was thriving in other countries and decided that Malta could not afford to miss out. Soon local legislation was revised to also include online casino, poker and lotteries etc. Today, Malta is the only EU country with iGaming regulations in place geared to attract all types of remote gaming.

The role of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority is to serve as the regulator in this industry during its boom and to set clear guidelines ensuring ethical behaviour at all times encouraging responsible gaming.

Its role will also ensure that online gaming providers do everything in their power to protect minors from this hobby, which may easily turn into a habit if abused. Just like drugs and smoking, gambling can be addictive.

The latest information made available by the Maltese Lotteries and Gaming Authority show that there are presently 51 licensed operators in Malta, the majority of which are European while others are American.

The Internet offers an opportunity to create a niche market for gaming. Other countries, where gambling is legal, have taken full opportunity of this market and this has opened up the doors for greater participation because it does not require the physical presence in a casino, surrounded by hundreds of other gamblers. Online gaming can be carried out from the comfort of your own home.

Apart from the economic and business aspect, the iGaming industry is increasingly becoming a source for the creation of new jobs for the Maltese.

Malta is the perfect location for operators to set up shop and operate. Apart from its strategic geographical position, it can offer skilled and professional staff in several areas which are vital to an online gaming operator.

Online gaming will bring about more job opportunities for people who need and want to work. Apart from clerical and administrative opportunities there will be a growing need for specialised personnel - like key officials for example, who must be residents of Malta, have a full knowledge of remote gaming regulations and be responsible for its operations.

It will also create jobs in several other areas such as sales and marketing because without creative marketing techniques, customers cannot be enticed to use the company's services. And to have the right sales and marketing strategy, the company providing the service would need to engage people who are proficient in this field in order to attract people to gamble online.

Another important position that will surely arise within any company offering online gaming is customer support. Since online gaming, as its name suggests, is available over the Internet, it is open to customers from around the globe.

A number of online gaming operators provide multilingual call centres manned by customer support staff that operate on a 24/7 basis to accept online bets placed by telephone.

24/7 customer support is vital; if a company's response time is not fast, in this day and age the customer will have the facility - and this is just a click away - to move on to a competing site offering better customer satisfaction.

Today, even though English is considered to be the most international, widely used language in the world; proficiency in a number of other essential languages - German, French, Spanish and Italian, just to mention a few, is essential, especially where marketing targets specific online gamers.

And since online payments are involved, the online gaming company must employ personnel who are proficient in the numbers game, namely accountants and financial controllers.

Aside from the usual accounting duties involved in a business, the accounting function would also be responsible for dealing with the winner, handing over winnings as soon as possible encouraging customers - without further marketing efforts to try their luck again.

It will generate work for computer brainboxes whose services will be used for the creation of Websites and programmes directly related to online gaming industry. A company would also need to engage technicians and Webmasters to design and look after the Internet site; keeping this up to date, appealing and user-friendly to attract more customers.

And, of course, every company needs a good team of human resource people whose aim will be the well being, productivity and happiness of all employees.

Other job opportunities that may arise in Malta will include call centre agents, risk management consultants, event compilers as well as providers of administrative and legal services.

The Maltese people are very well known for their extraordinary capabilities, especially with regard to information and communications technology. They enjoy several competitive advantages over people in other countries and this can be put into good use as the online gaming industry in Malta continues to grow and prosper.

And while mentioning competitive advantages, one must not forget the competitive edge which Malta has over other competing destinations. With its history, culture, multilingual population, geographical position, hospitality facilities and tourist attractions, Malta is very attractive to foreign investors.

The island's convenient location, competitive tax regime, a network of double taxation agreements, combined with technical experience, a multilingual population using English as the business language, advanced telecommunication systems, competitive costs for management, administration, salaries and rent, places Malta on the forefront with that added advantage over other jurisdictions.

This, coupled with a second Internet carrier (provider) in place that ensures no Internet down time - which is vital in this business - makes Malta very attractive to potential serious investors in the online gaming industry.

The chief executive officer of the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Mario Galea, is very optimistic about Malta and its outstanding capability to be the perfect location for investors to set up their business here.

"Malta is fast becoming one of the leading jurisdictions for iGaming. Our success to attract iGaming operators is due to the pragmatic approach Malta adopted towards the industry. We have put in place a strong regulatory framework that is attractive to both the players who want and strive for safety and the operators who want to operate in a stable jurisdiction," he said.

There have certainly been excellent investment opportunities in the past few months in this sector and more are expected in the near future. There are companies, which apart from offering extensive personnel recruitment services to the online gaming industry, also offer their services and expertise to those parties who are interested in obtaining gaming licences, company incorporation, tax planning and consulting, audit and legal services and assistance in setting up of an operational base in Malta.

CSB Recruitment Agency has been supporting the local business community with its services since 1987. For further informa-tion you can write to CSB at Vincenti Buildings, 14/19 Strait Street, Valletta VLT 08, call 2122-5800 or 2124-6543, fax: 2123-0520, e-mail: jobs@vacancycentre.com, or visit www.VacancyCentre.com.

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