Earlier today, the Minister for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects Silvio Schembri brought together several chief executives at Trident Park, representing leading companies in the gaming, video game development, and esports industries. During the meeting, they discussed their plans for Malta and the future of the industry. During the event, eight new investments were announced. Together they announced a total investment of €60 million and the generation of 1,300 high-quality, well-paid jobs by the end of next year.
Minister Silvio Schembri opened the meeting by highlighting the exciting prospects that lie ahead for the industry, driven by the continuous evolution of technology. He reaffirmed that Malta is steadily strengthening its position in this dynamic sector, which globally continues to transform at a fast pace.
In the esports sector, the CEO of Imperial, one of Brazil’s largest companies, announced that Malta has been chosen as the location for its main European office, set to open this December. BLAST TV revealed plans to reach 3.2 billion followers by 2025 and is currently in the process of registering its entity in Malta to operate and host its events from here. This forms part of a €10 million investment over the next three years.
In the video game development sector, Unity will continue investing in the education and training of young Maltese people in this field, to enable them to benefit from the high-quality career opportunities being created in this emerging economic niche.
In the Digital Marketing sector, Clever announced that in the coming days it will open its offices in Gżira with an investment of €6 million. The company has also invested an additional €1.5 million in a video gaming company, NARC. Gentoo Media carried out a €1.2 million investment in new facilities—an investment that will also see its workforce increase from 70 to 130 employees.
Within the iGaming sector, Soft2Bet has invested €20 million over a four-year period, opening its offices in Mrieħel with the goal of training more local workers interested in the sector. By the end of the year, another company, Religa, is expected to expand its workforce from 200 to 700 employees, with a total investment of around €21 million. The company Eeze also announced a substantial €30 million investment covering offices, training, and technological equipment, and stated that it will increase its number of employees from 500 to 1,200 by the first quarter of next year.
Minister Silvio Schembri emphasised that today we are not only witnessing new economic sectors such as Video Game Development, but also major forward-looking investments.
Minister Schembri also appealed to gaming companies operating in Malta to mirror their investments in foreign sports teams by extending similar support to Maltese sports teams, thereby contributing to the development and growth of local sports and athletes.
Gaming Malta CEO, Ivan Filletti said that “The iGaming Council provides a vital forum for key operators within the industry to openly explore and discuss jurisdictional opportunities and ecosystem initiatives. Today’s Council witnessed the unveiling of major investments — from new esports organisations and office expansions to enhanced operations and talent development initiatives. Together, these milestones signify a strong and forward-looking ecosystem, fully aligned with the Malta Vision 2050.”
Photo (MEEP)
