How has Malta established itself as a successful base for the iGaming business, Dale Schembri, product marketing executive at BMIT Ltd, asks.

Over the past few years, Malta has seen a huge rise in the popularity and success of the iGaming business. It’s an industry that has generated thousands of jobs in Malta, and only keeps growing. This isn’t just a matter of chance and there are plenty of reasons why Malta has established itself as the ideal base for remote gaming companies.

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), for starters, has a solid reputation that attracts legitimate and high-end companies to seek licensing in the Maltese jurisdiction. Many organisations go a step further and choose to base some or all of their operations on the island. Malta’s ideal location in the heart of the Mediterranean is a significant contributing factor towards its success in the gaming industry.

With its sunny weather, stable political and economic climate, and rich social and cultural life, Malta is also a natural choice for foreign nationals looking for a career in iGaming, giving companies a diverse and highly experienced candidate pool to recruit from.

One of the key reasons why Malta is so attractive for iGaming businesses is Malta’s legislation regarding remote gaming, which benefits operators in many ways.

In 2004, Malta became the first EU member state to regulate remote gaming and this was done strategically and wisely, avoiding mistakes that other regulators made in an attempt to attract iGaming businesses with lax regulations. As Malta’s regulation is both technology- and game-neutral, it encompasses any type of gaming involving a distance communication. This includes internet, mobile phone, and other devices.

The MGA’s regulations are relatively strict when it comes to monitoring and licensing gaming operations – a move that was initially feared to be discouraging rather than inviting for operators looking to set up their business. However, this approach proved to be beneficial as the strong regulations and strict policies served to attract serious and legitimate operators who were looking for a trustworthy platform to jump-start their business from.

Besides favourable legislation and company laws in Malta, its position in the heart of the Mediterranean makes it an attractive place for both companies and families. More importantly, it makes it easier for iGaming employers to attract employees to settle for a career in Malta. For many foreign nationals, choosing to pursue a career in a sunny island is a natural choice and this works in favour for operators, as many gaming jobs require people who are fluent in different languages so that the company can offer its services worldwide.

Besides the idyllic weather, Malta is known as one of the safest countries in Europe

Besides the idyllic weather, Malta is known as one of the safest countries in Europe, with a very low crime rate and a culture of Mediterranean warmth and hospitality. Most iGaming companies in Malta settle in locations with plenty to do and see, such as St Julian’s and Sliema.

Malta is also one of the best places in Europe to raise and educate children – the country’s education standards are on par with UK education standards and many foreigners choose to study here. This is a plus for people who want to pursue a career in iGaming in Malta while continuing their studies, as well as for iGaming professionals with children. Malta also has an excellent healthcare system and affordable health insurance and facilities.

With over 18 years of success for the iGaming industry, Malta is also a politically and economically stable country – perhaps one of the most important factors for iGaming operators who want to set up in a relatively economically risk-free country.

Data is the essence of iGaming, and the growth in data traffic has been huge and constantly growing in recent years. Companies are constantly looking for ways to avoid delays and provide a smooth experience for their players by shifting to a cloud-based infrastructure for their IT systems.

Cloud-based systems provide many new opportunities and benefits for gaming companies. Because gaming is a rapidly growing industry, cloud technology is an effective way to keep up with that and it benefits not only the operator, but the player too.

Thanks to cloud computing solutions like BMIT’s MultiCloud Connect, gaming operators can profit from the speed, cost, efficiency and security benefits using a single, integrated platform that connects the infrastructure that is found on-premise or co-located at one of BMIT’s data centres with that of popular global cloud platforms via a private connection. This allows organisations to bypass the public internet and connect directly to cloud service providers, resulting in improved performance, better security, and reduced costs.

With a similar system, businesses benefit from dedicated and high-performance connections to popular cloud services like Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, Google Cloud and a host of other global providers. By adopting a one-stop-shop service such as MultiCloud Connect, operators can have their cloud set-up configured on their behalf in a shorter time and receive immediate support for their needs.

The iGaming industry has become one of the most successful industries in Malta, generating a large number of different jobs related to this sector. It’s probably safe to say that it looks like it will only keep growing and growing. With more growth comes the need for the latest technology to offer the player the best gaming experience. Cloud-based systems are also gaining popularity in the industry because they benefit both the operator and the end-users.

Malta’s remote gaming industry is constantly updating itself, going from success to success and has become the primary base for some of the most well-known names in the industry. With a solid regulatory framework comprising laws and regulations that cover all activities licensed by the MGA, Malta has made itself one of the most attractive European countries for iGaming businesses.