Influence of Maltese online casinos on European gambling trends

Despite having a population of around half a million people, Malta has become a major trendsetter in the European online gambling industry. Since the early 2000s, the island nation has established regulations designed to encourage growth in the iGaming sector and help the best online casino Malta operators thrive. Today, an estimated 10 per cent of the world’s online gambling companies are based in Malta, an impressive statistic considering the global market is worth close to €100 billion in 2024.

Malta’s position as one of the largest hubs for the online gambling industry means it has a significant amount of influence on European gambling trends. With many of the largest operators and software providers based on the island, the effect is that Malta casinos are seen as the gold standard. Operators based in other locations will generally follow trends set by Malta casinos to compete.

The gambling industry has changed a lot over the years, and the increased number of sites offering online casino in Malta has played a major role in these changes. Today, it’s easier than ever for players to sign up and play, with a range of quality sites to join. Check online-casinos.com: best online casinos in Malta to find a list of the top recommended casinos to join.

How Malta became an iGaming hub

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the first gambling sites started to come online, bringing real-money casino games to players all over the world. These early sites were often difficult to use, unregulated and potentially dangerous. Players had no way to trust the original online casinos, meaning they weren’t hugely popular, even if the concept was good. This all changed when Malta became the first country to introduce online gambling regulations in 2004.

The government of Malta recognised the potential of the online gambling industry and set up the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) to create clear regulations for operators to follow. To operate online casino Malta games legally, companies must be licensed by the MGA. The licensing process is strict, with each company having to prove their games are fair and that funds are handled securely.

Since these regulations and the casino licensing process was introduced, other countries around the world have adapted the legal framework for their own use. Malta is no longer the only country with legal online gambling, but it remains the gold standard in terms of its regulations. Thanks to this, players now have greater confidence in signing up to casino sites and playing with real money online.

Aside from being the first country to establish clear regulations for the online gambling industry, Malta also offered tax incentives for iGaming companies. This helped to attract the biggest companies and gambling entrepreneurs and has seen the industry of Malta grow substantially and lead to the best online casino in Malta offering better experiences to players.

How Malta online casinos changed the game for European casinos

The Malta licence is now seen as a mark of trust for any gambler, and Malta online casinos are some of the most popular options online. Many countries have since legalised online gambling and rely on the Malta legal framework rather than introducing their own. This has helped the industry grow, changing how online casinos Malta operate and bringing in new ideas and innovations. Here are some of the ways Malta has changed the game for the European casino industry.

Greater consumer trust

The introduction of online gambling regulations has changed the face of the industry completely. While it used to be regarded as seedy and potentially dangerous, modern online gambling sites have mainstream appeal. Improved regulations have meant that consumers have far more trust in the industry as a whole, with casino sites now being safer and easier to use. Malta’s gaming licence requires that gambling sites adopt encryption and proper data protection procedures, meaning consumers feel safer when they sign up and deposit real funds. Not only that but all games are tested and proved to be fair and random. This helps give consumers the trust they need to play games at the best online casinos in Malta, which they might have otherwise felt unsure about.

New technological innovation

Better regulations have helped the industry grow, and in Malta, growth has also been affected by favourable tax rates. The gaming tax collected by the Malta Gaming Authority is capped at 5%, and there are other incentives in place for businesses and software developers working in the iGaming industry. These tax incentives have allowed the best online casinos in Malta to save money and put more revenue towards research and development.

Over the past two decades of online gambling, the overall quality has improved dramatically. Modern online casino in Malta sites are simple to use and work perfectly on all devices including smartphones and tablets. Games are getting increasingly creative, with new bonus modes and special features to give players something new to enjoy.

Future trends for Malta online casino sites and the iGaming industry

The online gambling industry has changed a lot in a relatively short space of time. As new markets open up and the existing operators continue to innovate and explore new ideas, the future of the industry could look very different from how it looks today.

Future trends such as increased use of technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality could have a big impact, as could the adoption of new regulations. It’s hard to know how the future will look, but we can expect online casinos in Malta to remain at the heart of the iGaming industry.