Maltese Falcon Flying High

With new legislation that took effect in the UK September 1, a number of online gaming sites are revisiting the issue of where to locate in the physical world. The island nation of Malta appears to be the big winner, with a plethora of applications from online casinos and looking to relocate to their shores.

Intercasino, William Hill, Playboy Casino and Virgin Games, plan to have a presence on Malta by the end of September.

Eighty-four online gaming firms are now licensed in Malta with 36 more companies in the application phase. Additionally, letter of intents were issued to 76 others.

“Malta’s becoming the natural hub of online gaming,” according to Mario Galea, who heads the Maltese gaming authority. According to Galea, “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.”