Bet365 confirms Malta expansion

This week, Bet365 confirmed plans to expand its operations in Malta, at the same time, they will 'maintain a strong presence in the United Kingdom enclave', even though it declined to say if Malta will start acting as its new operations hub after Brexit.

In a statement issued on Monday, Bet365 said that following the report by The Sunday Times of Malta, it “confirms plans to expand its presence in Malta”.

“Due to regulatory developments in various jurisdictions and the evolving global regulatory environment for online betting and gaming, we have decided to increase our existing presence in Malta, which provides a mature and robust regulatory environment for the industry.”

The company also confirmed that it has also acquired new property in Malta but did not say where.

“We are taking additional property space and looking to recruit additional personnel in Malta to support our online operations and will also be expanding our infrastructural capabilities on the island.”

News of the transfer of Bet365 operations from Gibraltar to Malta did not go down well with the government of the United Kingdom enclave, which fears an exodus of betting companies due to Brexit.

Currently, Gibraltar is considered to be one of the most attractive jurisdictions for online betting companies.

However, Brexit could pose a major headache for the industry if it cuts off access to the key European market and if it makes it difficult for employees of betting firms to cross over from Spain, where they reside, to their jobs in Gibraltar.