Malta regulated fewer gaming companies in 2025 than in either of the prior two years, yet the sector generated more economic output and more jobs than before.
Gross value added reached €1.42 million ($1.64 million), and employment climbed to 15,039 people, meaning each licence holder now accounts for a larger share of the industry’s output.
The Malta Gaming Authority closed 2025 with 302 licensed companies holding 311 gaming licences, down from 315 companies and 323 licences a year earlier and from 316 companies and 326 licences in 2023.
Over that same period, gross value added rose from €1,32 million ($1.53 million) to €1,42 million ($1.64 million), an increase of 3.5% between 2024 and 2025. The sector now accounts for approximately 6.3% of Malta’s overall economic output, a proportion the Authority puts at 8.2% once wider spillover effects across the economy are included, based on estimates drawn from National Statistics Office data.
Employment moved in step with output. An estimated 15,039 people worked with MGA-licensed operators in Malta at the end of 2025, a 4.8% increase in full-time equivalent terms over 2024 and an increase from 13,404 in 2023.
Land-based establishments accounted for 950 of those positions, while 10,115 were engaged in activities covered by an MGA licence. A further 3,974 worked for MGA licensees on activities licensed in other jurisdictions or in service roles supporting Malta-licensed firms.
Why the register contracted
The Authority attributes the decline in entities and licences to an industry “transitioning towards a more mature phase,” pointing to strategic consolidation among operators that are aligning licensing strategies across multiple jurisdictions and restructuring around compliance priorities.
Licensing data for 2025 show 28 licences surrendered, compared with 20 in 2024. Applications rejected, withdrawn or cancelled fell to 11 from 20 over the same period, while new applications received climbed to 38 from 28.
New licensing activity concentrated in B2B
Of the 38 applications submitted in 2025, 24 involved B2B authorisations. Among the 19 new licences issued, 12 were B2B. Renewals followed a similar pattern: four of the eight licences renewed related to existing B2B permissions.
The growth in Malta’s register is coming from suppliers of platforms, games and services rather than from new consumer-facing brands.
The Authority collected €82.4 million ($95 million) in 2025 from compliance contributions, licence fees, levies and consumption tax, drawn from a smaller licensee base than in either of the two preceding years.
On enforcement, the annual report records 35 cease and desist letters, 22 warnings and 30 administrative penalties totaling €162,520, along with one licence suspension and two cancellations. Of the total penalty amount, five cases accounted for €81,400 and the remaining 25 cases accounted for €81,120.
