Malta Gaming Authority Reports Sector Growth Despite License Numbers Hit Three-Year Low
The Malta Gaming Authority ended 2025 with a paradox: fewer licenses but stronger economic performance. The regulator reported 302 licensed companies holding 311 gaming licenses, down from 323 licenses the previous year, marking a three-year low. While license numbers declined, the sector’s contribution to Malta’s economy rose to €1,422.0 million in gross value added, representing a 3.5% increase and approximately 6.3% of the country’s overall economic output. Employment figures moved in step with economic growth, reaching 15,039 full-time equivalent positions, a 4.8% increase on 2024.
Malta Gaming Authority Explains Strategic Consolidation Behind License Reduction
Regulatory activity during 2024 shaped the license trajectory. The Malta Gaming Authority received 28 new gaming license applications and approved 17. Operators submitted 12 renewal applications for expiring licenses, with eight successfully renewed. The Supervisory Council reviewed 30 total applications throughout the year, rejecting two due to materially false or incomplete information following the issuance of ‘Minded Letters’. One additional application remained under review at the ‘Minded to Refuse’ stage by year-end.
The decline reflects a broader structural shift within the regulatory framework. The Malta Gaming Authority implemented a two-tiered licensing structure separating business-to-business and business-to-consumer operations. This regime oversees both physical and online gaming activities, shifting from prescriptive to risk-based instruments and controls. Special effort targeted avoiding duplication of regulatory and administrative requirements already met, speeding time-to-market for new products.
Point of consumption regulation and taxation forced industry restructuring. The costs and challenges associated with these factors drove operators to consolidate and acquire critical mass necessary to succeed in the evolving regulatory and fiscal environment. The authority issued new guidance on license surrenders, requiring operators to provide detailed timelines for settling outstanding player balances and explaining reasons for voluntary termination.
B2B Licensing Drives New Growth as B2C Applications Decline
Between January and December 2025, the Malta Gaming Authority received 38 applications for new gaming licenses and approved 19, with two rejected on grounds of false or misleading submissions. Operators submitted 10 renewal applications, with eight renewals granted. B2B licenses accounted for 24 of the applications received and 12 of the licenses issued, confirming continued expansion in business-to-business authorisations over business-to-consumer operations.
The trend accelerated from patterns established in 2024. That year, 60.7% of new gaming applications sought B2B authorisations, with 64.7% of newly issued licenses falling under the B2B category. B2B licenses reached 164 by the end of 2024. In contrast, B2C licenses declined to 147 in 2024, down from 155 in 2023 and 187 in 2022.
The shift marked a regulatory milestone. For the first time, B2B critical-supply licenses overtook B2C gaming-service licenses under the Malta Gaming Authority framework, with 171 B2B licenses compared to 131 B2C licenses. B2B licenses authorize companies to provide critical gaming supply, including software management to generate and process regulatory records, and supply of material game elements to licensed operators.
Economic Output and Employment Rise Despite Fewer Operators
Gaming sector contributions to Malta’s economy strengthened during the reporting period. In 2024, the gaming industry contributed just under 7% of the Gross Value Added of the Maltese economy. The sector generated an estimated €1.42 billion in Gross Value Added in 2025, accounting for approximately 6.3% of Malta’s overall economic output. When wider spillover effects across the economy are taken into account, the sector’s total impact on value added increases to an estimated 8.2%.
Employment distribution across the sector revealed operational diversity. As of December 2025, an estimated 950 employees worked directly with land-based gaming establishments licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority. Another 10,115 employees engaged with online operators on activities covered by the Authority’s license, while 3,974 worked with online licensees on activities licensed by other jurisdictions or providing services through associated companies. Total employment directly or indirectly tied to the gaming sector in 2025 was estimated at 19,150 employees, representing around 6.5% of the workforce.
During 2025, the Authority collected €82.4 million in compliance contributions, license fees, levies, and consumption tax.
