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In September 2026, next-gen live casino software provider Avanti Studios announced that it had opened a new office in Malta. The game developer stated it made the move to get closer to the island’s established iGaming cluster and its wide network of European operators.
Malta is home to a small population of just over half a million residents, packed into the tenth-smallest country by area. But despite its size, it has an unusually large presence in the online gaming industry. The country’s role goes beyond being a convenient place for companies to register and run their business, with developers, platform providers, and operators setting up offices and creating a concentrated industry community.
Avanti’s arrival is just the latest news on the gaming ecosystem that Malta has spent decades building. How did the small Mediterranean island become such a familiar name in iGaming, and why is its footprint only growing?
Malta’s Head Start
Before online gaming bloomed into the business it is today, it was far from established when Malta first entered the industry. In 2004, it became the first EU member state to introduce comprehensive legislation for remote gaming, which meant it had a foothold in an industry that was only starting to take off. During that time, Malta was able to build regulatory experience and attract companies while everyone else was still finding their way. As the sector expanded, the businesses around it naturally did too.
Many statistics demonstrate just how much of an early mover Malta really was. The country joined the EU in 2004, which was the same year it introduced its remote gaming legislation. Malta was already trying to formalize online betting before the 2004 legislation. The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) specifically identified the country’s English-speaking population, infrastructure, and regulatory experience to help attract gaming businesses.
How Regulation Helped Malta Build Its Gaming Scene
Malta had ample time to develop a regulatory system around the industry, which eventually led to the creation of the MGA. The MGA is now responsible for licensing and supervising gaming businesses, from consumer-facing operators to the companies supplying the tech that powers them. Its framework divides business-to-consumer (B2C) gaming services from business-to-business (B2B) gaming supplies, covering different sides of the industry. Malta effectively touches on all sides of the industry, including software suppliers and game developers, as well as businesses that provide legal work, payments, and compliance services.
When people think of the country, casinos regulated in Malta may be the first thing that comes to mind. But given that there are so many more pieces of the gaming business packed in one place, Malta can offer a useful base even for companies whose products reach players in markets around the world. Because there isn’t much room for an industry of its size to spread out, Malta has created a unique environment where companies, employees, and supporting businesses are all operating within close proximity to one another.
The numbers show just how significant the B2B side has become. At the end of June 2025, B2B supply licenses accounted for the majority of the online sector base, outnumbering B2C gaming-service licenses.
The Network Effect in Malta’s Gaming Scene
Once enough companies from the same industry settle in one place, it’s easy for things to start to snowball. Any new game studios arriving in Malta aren’t walking into an empty market, but one with potential clients and business partners who know how the industry works. Even those working in gaming won’t be short on potential employers in a small area, while companies have direct access to a pool of people with experience in gaming marketing, compliance, development, and operations.
Yet not every gaming company needs an office down the street from its partners. In fact, much of the industry can operate remotely, with companies working with clients, teams, and suppliers across borders. But having a presence in the same market does have its advantages. Face-to-face meetings open up collaboration opportunities and put companies closer to networking events, conferences, and other aspects of the local gaming community.
Avanti Studios’ decision to open an office in Malta could very well be influenced by many of those factors, helping to support its commercial expansion and rollout of its motion-capture and live dealer games, all while deepening relationships with major gaming operators.
Perks of an EU Base
Malta also boasts a strategic position in the European Union. As an EU member state, it offers companies an established legal and business environment, and a professional services sector that has developed around industries such as finance and gaming. Companies that have international operations will find that being based in an EU jurisdiction can make it easier to work with European businesses and operate within a familiar legal and regulatory framework.
At the same time, having a Malta Gaming Authority license doesn’t give a company automatic permission to offer gambling services anywhere in the EU. Since gambling is largely regulated at the national level, operators still need to secure separate and specific approvals or have to meet specific requirements in each market they want to operate in.
Competition From the Rest of Europe
Decades later, other countries and cities have built their own gaming industries and are competing for the same companies, investment, and skilled workers. At this point, Malta’s head start still provides an edge, but it’s not everything. New developments like remote working have also changed the landscape, making it easier for businesses to spread teams across different countries instead of building their entire workforce in one location.
European gambling regulation has evolved so that individual countries have developed more detailed national frameworks for online gaming, providing more variety for operators and suppliers when deciding where to base different parts of their businesses. As the industry has matured, Malta’s role has naturally changed. Its appeal isn’t that being based on the island makes it easier to enter every European market or that every gaming company just needs to be there. Instead, Malta’s established network offers something that can be harder to recreate than a new office or set of regulations.
Malta’s existing ecosystem keeps it relevant, even in the face of a more distributed industry.
Why Malta’s Still in the Game Two Decades Later
The idea of a small island becoming a major gaming hub might seem to have a straightforward explanation. With Malta, however, the story isn’t that simple. While the island got its early start, its timing alone doesn’t explain why gaming companies are still setting up shop there over 20 years later. Rather, it’s the result of everyone there building around a primary industry.
Avanti Studios’ new office is an exciting expansion announcement with a bigger message. In a time when gaming businesses have more freedom than ever to work internationally, there’s still value in being part of a market where there’s intense familiarity among the people and businesses working in the sector. Malta’s head start may be history, but the gaming ecosystem it helped create won’t be easily replicated elsewhere.
Written by
Jessica ThompsonAs a dedicated gaming journalist with over five years of experience, I've immersed myself in the ever-evolving world of video games. Currently, I contribute to Gamerbolt.com and PS6news.com, where I cover the latest in gaming news, in-depth game reviews, and industry trends. At Gamerbolt.com, I've had the privilege of shaping content strategies, writing comprehensive articles, and engaging with a passionate community of gamers. My role involves not only crafting engaging narratives but also staying ahead of the curve with the latest gaming innovations and upcoming titles.