209 operators in gaming industry

There are 209 operators in the gaming industry in Malta holding 400 licences, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning.

Speaking during a visit to Betsson in Ta’ Xbiex, which this morning inaugurated an additional floor to its premises, Dr Gonzi said Malta was the first European country to regulate the sector in 2004.

The government planned for Malta to be the best in Europe in the services sector by 2015 and one of the major pillars in achieving this is the gaming industry, Dr Gonzi said.

He said the company, which has been here since 2006, started off employing 20 people but has now grown to 215 employees – a third of them Maltese. Its revenue has increased from €10 million to €170 million.

Its stock exchange funds are worth €600 million.

Last week it acquired Betsafe, which will add another 100 people to its working force, making it the largest betting company on the island.