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From patrolling Malta’s countryside to rescuing injured turtles, NGOs are finding strong support in the iGaming sector. Lyndsey Grima explores how corporate partnerships are helping protect the island’s ecosystem.
While Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in iGaming has traditionally been associated with responsible gaming and community initiatives, a quieter shift is taking place as the sector is increasingly throwing its weight behind environmental protection.
Two recent collaborations – one between Betsson and the Malta Ranger Unit, and the other between Lottoland and Wildlife Rescue Team Malta – highlight how private-sector support can directly protect ecosystems, empower NGOs and inspire communities.
These partnerships go beyond marketing exercises to reveal something deeper: when companies align their resources with relevant expertise, the results are visible, measurable and long-lasting.
Those who spend weekends hiking Malta’s countryside or planning picnics by the coast will be familiar with the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU) as the NGO’s volunteers patrol rural areas, tackle environmental crimes and educate the public on sustainable practices. Their work spans from stopping illegal dumping to preventing out-of-season hunting and mitigating fire hazards – a mix of enforcement, prevention and education.
Since December 2024, the MRU has been able to expand operations thanks to a collaboration with Betsson Group, whose Malta headquarters hosts hundreds of employees. This partnership has enabled the Rangers to increase patrols, invest in safety and run more outreach activities.
“Supporting the MRU was a natural choice,” Lara Lombardi, Head of HR (Malta) at Betsson Group, starts off. “Their work delivers tangible local results while aligning with our focus on climate impact. With our operational base in Malta, we feel a responsibility to contribute to the health of our immediate environment.”
This local-first approach matters. For the Rangers, donations translate directly into boots on the ground and safer working conditions. “Without the support of Betsson, our Rangers would have to work alone, which is not really a safe option when you’re confronting offenders in remote areas,” says Camilla Appelgren, Chief Patrolling Ranger. “Their involvement is directly enabling our operations.”
The impact of this partnership is already tangible. Shortly after the collaboration started, MRU representatives visited Betsson’s Ta’ Xbiex office for an educational session. Within days, employees were joining Rangers for a coastal clean-up at Qalet Marku, hauling waste from one of Malta’s most popular camping sites.
“The initiative proved how quickly a partnership between a corporation and an NGO can deliver visible, hands-on results,” Ms Lombardi notes.
Beyond litter collection, MRU clean-ups have direct ecological benefits. “We often encounter reptiles or birds trapped in beverage cans or tangled in ropes,” Ms Appelgren explains. “We remove hundreds of kilos of waste annually, with over 1,500 kg collected from larger events and daily patrols. The work prevents needless animal suffering and allows habitats to recover.”
For Betsson, this collaboration is part of a wider environmental framework across its 21 offices worldwide. The company’s CSR board evaluates partnerships on three criteria: proven impact, operational credibility and opportunities for employee engagement. The Rangers ticked all three.
Perhaps most importantly, the initiative resonated with staff. “The clean-up saw colleagues from different teams in Malta come together,” Ms Lombardi says. “And in other offices, employees are driving sustainability initiatives such as recycling programmes, plastic reduction and energy efficiency measures.”
Looking ahead, the partnership is set to continue with more patrol support, education campaigns and community activities. For the MRU, private sector support is not simply a matter of raising funds, but also of sustainability: the ability to plan ahead, scale operations and keep Malta’s natural spaces safe for future generations.
“Nature has no boundaries,” Ms Appelgren reflects. “We all rely on it. Supporting NGOs like ours means safeguarding these spaces not only for ourselves, but for our children.”
While the Rangers guard Malta’s land, the Wildlife Rescue Team Malta (WRTM) protects its seas. Operating under Nature Trust – FEE Malta, the team rescues, rehabilitates and releases injured wildlife, most famously marine turtles. These creatures, often found entangled in fishing gear or weakened by ingested plastic, would rarely survive without intervention.
Over the decades, the WRTM has rescued and rehabilitated more than 500 turtles, with a success rate of around 70 per cent. Each recovery is an intensive process involving veterinary care, medication, physiotherapy, and months – sometimes years – of rehabilitation at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Xrobb l-Għaġin.
However, such operations are resource-heavy, with annual costs exceeding €100,000. Here, Lottoland’s partnership has been crucial.
“Lottoland has supported us for four consecutive years,” says WRTM’s Vincent Attard. “Their contribution allows us to employ a full-time Rehabilitation Centre Manager; a role essential to daily operations and professional care. Volunteers are also essential, of course, but having a dedicated manager ensures continuity, quality and oversight.”
In 2025, the collaboration supported the release of two rehabilitated turtles back into the wild. For the public, these release events are highly emotional. But, more importantly, they are also educational.
“Every turtle released is an ambassador for change,” Mr Attard explains. “Seeing a creature that suffered due to human negligence returning to the sea inspires people to reflect on their own behaviours and the impact of pollution.”
The statistics are sobering: millions of turtles die globally each year due to marine debris. Locally, reports of stranded or injured turtles often involve swallowed fishing hooks, boat strikes or plastic ingestion. Each successful release represents not just a life saved, but a story that can mobilise broader awareness.
Lottoland’s VP of Corporate Affairs, Laura Pearson, agrees. “The initiative benefits both biodiversity and Malta’s broader environmental health. It has also inspired our team, sparking cultural shifts around sustainability and making employees proud of the role they play in supporting conservation.”
Lottoland’s environmental efforts extend globally; from planting over three million trees (including 1,000 in Malta) to maintaining carbon neutrality for four years running. Locally, the Wildlife Rescue partnership reflects a conscious decision to treat Malta as more than a licensing hub.
“We consider Malta our home and community,” Ms Pearson emphasises. “That’s why we support grassroots NGOs like WRTM, which operate transparently and deliver real results.”
For Mr Attard, corporate partnerships like this provide stability. “Support towards human resources is especially impactful,” he says. “It makes sure that we can sustain operations, apply for grants and continue expanding services in wildlife rescue and education.”
What unites these two stories is not the companies themselves but the causes they support. Both partnerships highlight a maturing CSR landscape in Malta’s iGaming sector: one where environmental responsibility is embedded in broader strategies, rather than treated as an afterthought.
As CSR in Malta evolves, these models may offer a blueprint: private sector resources aligned with expertise, delivering long-term impact that can inspire many others.
After all, the success of these initiatives isn’t shown in boardroom statements but in wildlife returning to Malta’s countryside and seas. And the measure of success of these two initiatives is visible in Malta’s countryside and seas.
This article first appeared in the iGaming Capital 2026 edition. For more information on the iGaming Capital 2026 edition or on www.iGamingCapital.mt, get in touch via email on info@contenthouse.mt or on +356 2132 0713. Additionally, readers can visit the iGaming Capital portal at www.iGamingCapital.mt to stay updated on the latest developments in Malta’s iGaming industry.
