Around 6,600 persons were employed directly by the end of 2017, an increase of around 500 jobs during the year. A further 3,100 additional jobs support the gaming industry in other sectors of activity.
The €1.1 billion represents 11 per cent of Malta’s economic value-added.
In its annual report for 2017, the authority said that it received 220 applications and issued 165 remote gaming licences to 112 operators, following an approval procedure which looks at four critical areas.
The process continues even after the licence award, and the authority carried out over 100 compliance reviews, which were conducted by international audit firms.
The report stressed that the authority aims to ensure that the industry is “free from crime such as money-laundering and the financing of terrorism”. It performed 2,052 so-called ‘criminal probity assessments’ in 2017, on both individuals and companies.
It also took action against companies which were not in compliance. In 2017, it issued 45 administrative fines, suspended five licences and cancelled another three. This was considerably fewer than in 2015 and 2016.
Source: GMB / Times of Malta
