The iGaming sector contributed more than €700 million to the country’s economy in the first six months of this year and currently employs 10,000 people, Prime Minister Robert Abela said.

As he visited the SiGMA Malta Week, one of the largest iGaming fairs in the world, Abela said that some 300 companies operate in the sector in Malta.

The prime minister explained that despite the global economic challenges, the resilient gaming sector was continuing to achieve positive results.

In the first half of this year, the sector generated an income of €712 million, equivalent to ten percent of the economic growth that the country recorded during the year and an increase of €90 million over the first half of the year 2021.

The week-long SiGMA fair, at the MFCC in Ta'Qali, has attracted 25,000 delegates to the island, with more than 1,000 exhibitors and 200 start-up companies from 80 countries.

Abela reiterated the government’s commitment to continue building a sustainable and inclusive economy, particularly in this sector, and that it will continue to turn global challenges into opportunities. Malta is the only country in Europe where the businesses that operate from it are not faced with an increase in energy prices on limitations imposed on consumption. This serves as a competitive advantage for companies operating from here.

He said that investment in skills and more opportunities for this industry were priorities for his administration and that events like SiGMA celebrate the spirit of the government’s economic vision, which will continue to ensure more years of success in this industry.

A busy scene at the MFCC.