With no less than 27 international companies, including Intercasino, Littlewoods and the Playboy Casino, moving their operations to Malta by month’s end, Malta has cemented itself as the “place to be” for the online gaming world. With 84 internet companies already there, 76 others having signed a letter of intent, and another 36 with pending applications to move to the tiny island country, Malta has become “the natural hub of online gaming” according to Lotteries Gaming Authority CEO Mario Galea.
Spurring the landrush is no doubt the U.K.’s Gambling Act, which states that only European-Union countries or nations on a government “white list” can advertise in the United Kingdom. Coupled with the recent closure of the American marketplace to all foreign operators, operators have strong reasons to move base to government approved Malta.
“Our regulations are very much in line with the EU’s, and we have shown that we are capable of protecting operators – so it won’t be long before the physical operations move to Malta,” according to Galea.
