Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Thursday welcomed a formal announcement by Bet365 that it will significantly expand its operations in Malta.
We welcome @bet365 announcement on the significant expansion of operations in #Malta, where its footprint will now be double that originally envisaged -JM @SilvioSchembri
— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) May 23, 2019
The announcement came in the form of an article in a gaming industry specialist publication gamingintelligence.com.
The website quoted a Bet365 spokesperson as saying the company would be moving operations from Gibraltar to Malta to ensure EU market access and to maintain and enhance operational efficiencies.
“We also continue to operate in a highly uncertain environment, driven primarily by the continuing Brexit landscape. Therefore, to assist with business planning and in order to maintain operational effectiveness, we intend to enhance our Maltese operational hub and relocate certain functionality there”, the spokesman is quoted as saying.
The government of Gibraltar said it would continue to "work with bet365 through its period of staff consultation" to ensure "that the footprint" of the company in the territory "remains substantial".
Gibraltar "is the only jurisdiction guaranteed access to the United Kingdom market in online gaming going forward," it added in a statement.
Gamingintelligence.com said Bet365 would not be commenting further about the matter at this stage.