Despite rising competition, Malta remains Europe’s beating heart of iGaming. In this exclusive roundtable, Mehmet Guven, VP of Operations at EEZE, Natasha Giorgio, Head of Sales and Business Development at Hub88, and Mark O’Donnell, Head of Marketing at LuckyStreak, unpack what keeps the island at the industry’s core, from the enduring weight of the MGA licence and renowned tech infrastructure to a collaborative and supportive ecosystem.

The industry continues to invest heavily in Malta by hosting a number of high-profile events year-round. What keeps the country a ‘buzzing hub’ for iGaming despite global competition?

MO: Malta has a thriving gambling industry with loads of resident gambling companies. It’s a big and vibrant iGaming community, and a sunny, welcoming Mediterranean island, so it’s no surprise that the events side is growing, because people love going there.

There is a perception that the MGA licence may be under pressure with the growing number of local and international licences available across the world, but Malta still has big benefits for gaming companies, whether that’s low tax, a skilled workforce, EU membership, great tech and supporting services, or a very supportive government. And the reputation and credibility of the MGA means that a Malta licence is still highly coveted across the globe. It’s why LuckyStreak obtained a B2B Critical Supply Licence last year and can now offer our content to hundreds of licensed businesses and their players. What’s not to love?

MG: Malta’s success is rooted in a reputable regulator, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), along with a talented workforce and a cooperative industry climate. The country’s appealing tax policies, strategic position, and continuous industry events contribute to its vibrant scene. These factors foster a supportive atmosphere that attracts operators.

Additionally, Malta’s extensive industry expertise enables local companies to export these valuable skills to emerging markets, further solidifying Malta’s role in the global iGaming industry.

NG: Malta remains a crackling arena for iGaming because it offers basically everything the industry needs to thrive: strong regulation, a highly skilled workforce and, through a variety of conferences and events, an unbeatable industry community.

The MGA is still seen today as one of the gold standards for licensing, giving operators confidence to base their businesses here. But beyond compliance, Malta thrives on its networking culture. Year-round events like Next.io Networking events and Summits and countless other meetups keep the ecosystem connected and collaborative. This is why Hub88 is so intent on collaborating with firms like these so frequently.

Plus, the lifestyle helps – the land of eternal sunshine. A global language hub with English-speaking professionals and a great work-life balance attract talent from all over the world. While other jurisdictions compete on tax or licensing, Malta keeps evolving by fostering collaboration between startups, major operators and service providers. It’s this sense of community, combined with regulatory leadership, that keeps Malta at the heart of global iGaming.

What are the key opportunities to innovate and expand in Malta?

NG: Despite it already being something of a Goldilocks zone, Malta’s iGaming scene still offers plenty of room for improvement and growth. On the tech side, there are big opportunities in data-driven personalisation, gamification and payment solutions. These are some of our key foci in Hub88 innovation, as well as Live88 and Odds88 by extension, especially for emerging markets in Africa, Asia, and LatAm. The common theme on all of these development points is that they all put the customer first.

Responsible gaming tech is another growth area. It’s a deeply fascinating area of growth too as it balances the challenge of working to meet rising compliance standards while keeping players engaged.

Beyond tech, Malta’s diverse talent pool and active startup culture mean there’s room for fresh B2B services for Hub88 to collaborate with. The HubMarket The HubMarket has been a first-mover in collaborating with AI-powered marketing tools, retention platforms, and safer gambling solutions. Furthermore, from an expansion POV, Malta is the ideal launchpad for brands targeting Europe and beyond. Many operators use Malta as a base to explore crypto gaming, esports betting and social gaming verticals. Plus, with its strong support network of legal, financial, and tech service providers, Malta keeps making it easier for companies to test new ideas, partner fast and scale globally from a stable, regulated environment.

MG: There’s a lot of activity happening! Companies are actively exploring AI, blockchain, and mobile-first solutions, particularly in response to the growing demand for live and immersive experiences, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

At the same time, we’re seeing strong momentum in expanding into emerging markets, with fintech playing a larger role, particularly in payments and player onboarding. It’s an exciting time to be part of the innovation happening here.

MO: For a business like LuckyStreak, it’s a huge market opportunity. Half of MGA licensees are casino operators and the market is worth $100bn a year, so the upsides are clear. But as we know it’s a super-competitive market, and a live dealer provider like us, in this big industry, has to appeal to and persuade casino decision-makers, while all the others are doing the same. And we’re working hard at that.

It’s a place where innovation thrives; locally they have invested in modern and robust technology, and this nurtures solutions like secure blockchain and AI-powered personalisation, supporting the development of new verticals and formats, and it’s developing a reputation for responsible gaming, environmentally friendly operations, and transparent and compliant data practices. These developments are good for everyone in the industry.

What infrastructure is crucial for Malta to keep fostering a supportive and competitive environment?

MG: In the current landscape, robust internet infrastructure and data security are foundational, yet success hinges on adaptive compliance with evolving regulations, strategic investments in talent development, and the fortification of industry networks through targeted events. Focusing on operational efficiency and process optimisation is paramount, as a well-defined framework significantly accelerates time-to-market and enhances overall agility.

NG: For Malta to stay competitive, both digital and professional infrastructures are essential. We boast across a few of our verticals that maximum uptime with our products comes as standard. Continued investment in high-speed connectivity and cloud services is what enables this to happen; understandably our partners rely on real-time data, secure transactions and seamless experiences for their players.

Equally important as we’ve discussed already is regulation. The MGA must keep modernising its own frameworks to support innovation in areas like blockchain, esports and so on whilst maintaining player protection.

A thriving and robust ecosystem of legal, payments, compliance, support, commercial and marketing services makes both Hub88 and Malta in general’s industry agile. Meanwhile, conferences, meetups and knowledge-sharing forums obviously need to be continued for collaboration and growth. Together, this combination of both tech and human infrastructure ensures Malta stays not only a place to licence an iGaming brand but a place where bold new ideas are built, tested and scaled.

MO: Malta is attractive thanks to the investment in technology, like telecommunications systems and data centers, and has very high-speed internet, as well as new office developments like Ta’ Xbiex. It’s got a strong legal and regulatory framework in the MGA, and also plenty of legal and compliance practices on the island. Talent is obviously crucial and a big iGaming community serves that, and investment in training, and supporting access to the island for new talent is critical.

It’s no surprise that big money is being spent, seeing as 14% of the island’s GDP comes from iGaming. And anyone visiting for the big events will testify to the congestion and difficulty getting about, but the nature of the quaint towns and small streets makes it hard to see how they could or would build big highways for these peaks.

With a shift in the global regulatory landscape, why does a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) still hold so much weight?

NG: The MGA persists as one of the world’s most respected regulators because it perfectly balances player protection with business innovation. While many countries have introduced local licences, the MGA’s framework is still seen as a global benchmark for compliance, fairness and responsible gaming. Operators with an MGA licence show partners, payment providers and players that they meet high standards for transparency, anti-money laundering and ethical marketing.

Given its proximity to both Europe and MENA regions, MGA has decades of experience managing cross-border operations, making it a preferred choice for brands targeting multiple international markets from one hub. I think the key thing that sets the MGA apart is its willingness to evolve very quickly, whether it’s adapting to new tech like blockchain or improving responsible gambling tools.

Even as markets like the Netherlands, Germany and Ontario launch local licences, the MGA remains a gateway for startups and global operators looking for a credible, flexible, internationally recognized licensing base.

MO: Because it is recognised globally for its rigorous standards, transparency, integrity, stability and credibility. As one of the first regulators, it set a benchmark for RG, AML, compliance, and player protection. This was a big attraction for LuckyStreak when we applied for our licence.

Being an EU jurisdiction grants operators access to European markets, tax benefits and banking. And investment in technology infrastructure and new technologies keep it at the head of innovation. And of course iGaming is hugely important to Malta’s economy, and the benefits go both ways with attractive tax rates and contributions to GDP. All these are values and benefits that it has, and which it endows licence holders with, in the eyes of the iGaming world, means Malta is still a hugely attractive location and jurisdiction and will remain so.

MG: The MGA licence is globally trusted for being stringent yet fair, signalling operator reliability and player protection. It serves as a benchmark that new regulatory bodies often measure themselves against. The licence opens doors to numerous markets, reassures players, and continuously adapts to stay ahead of industry developments, which is why it remains highly valued worldwide.

We sat down with Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET, to understand the vision behind their expansion from esports dominance into sports, and what this evolution means for operators worldwide.

Why did DATA.BET choose to expand from esports into traditional sports?

Otto: It’s a natural evolution for us. Over the past three years, we’ve built exceptional performance in esports for our clients, and now we’re ready to bring this expertise to the broader market. We have around 150 trading professionals, time-tested models, and proven capabilities – it only makes sense to expand our product offering. This isn’t just an add-on, it’s the next revolution in DATA.BET’s history.

What market gaps led you to develop a unified solution for these betting verticals?

Otto: The market lacks robust sportsbook solutions. Most operators face a choice: either sign up for a complete platform that includes everything from casino to payments, or piece together multiple providers. We identified a massive opportunity for our high-quality, plug-and-play solution that works seamlessly whether you’re a betting operator or a platform provider.

To meet this market demand and ease the integration journey, the DATA.BET team developed a Single Page Application (SPA or iFrame). Its key strengths lie in its flexibility, deep customization options – both visually and technically – and seamless integration.

For casino operators, it’s a simple solution to add quality betting without creating additional pain. It is as simple as adding a new game provider and can be completed in under a month. For betting operators and platform providers, it’s not only an addition of high-quality traditional sports, but also premium esports coverage that will help them earn more. This is a convenient option because they can connect our Odds Feed via API, or our SPA (iFrame) to their platform.

We’re offering a high-quality, personalized solution that really works for both operators and platforms. The achievements that made us a top esports provider – performance, reliability, and ease of integration – now apply to our complete sportsbook offering.

How does DATA.BET differ from competitors when handling both esports and traditional sports?

Otto: Three key differentiators set us apart. First, our technical foundation is built by developers who excel at creating technically complex solutions that are actually easy to integrate and scale for clients. No headaches, just steady performance day after day.

Second, we don’t just provide odds – we create them. Our in-house trading team combined with our data scientists and sophisticated algorithms, delivers consistent, high-performance margins across all sports. We work with official data sources, and our models are continuously tested and improved. This ensures we provide the best coefficients and quality feed.

Third, our betting product suite is comprehensive. Just like with esports, we’re bringing Bet Builder, Widgets, Video Streaming, and full functionality to sports and virtual. It’s not about having separate systems – it’s one unified, high-performance solution powered by our technical expertise, official data, and data science capabilities.

What problems do clients typically face before switching to DATA.BET?

Otto: Integration nightmares are, unfortunately, common in our industry. What we wanted to do was make one product and make it exceptionally high-quality from a technical standpoint, so that integration becomes seamless.

If you’re a casino operator, you can be up and running within 10 days. For B2B integrations, we’ve seen major platforms go live in just five weeks.

Our partnership with NuBet is a great example – they chose us for our broad market coverage, fast and seamless user experience, and a strong feature set, including Bet Builder, Video Streaming, and detailed in-game Widgets. The integration was smooth and collaborative, with both teams working hands-on. As NuBet noted, feature delivery has been rapid, feedback is valued, and issues are resolved promptly, without being left hanging.

The key to success is our integration team – they work around the clock and take an extremely bespoke approach to each client. When our partners are ambitious to go live quickly, we make it happen. The speed ultimately depends on the their readiness, but we remove all the traditional technical barriers from our side.

How do you adapt your solutions for different markets, particularly emerging regions like LatAm?

Otto: Regional differences are significant, from sports preferences to regulatory requirements. Take Brazil, for example. It’s heavily football-focused, which is why we’re enhancing our football content and securing official data rights for major leagues, including the Brazilian Série A  and other Latin American competitions.

But here’s what’s interesting: esports ranks among the top three most popular betting categories in Brazil. Since we know how to do esports, combining that with top-tier football coverage creates a perfect solution for the LatAm market. We’re not just translating our product – we’re building it specifically for these markets.

What’s your approach for operators using separate providers for esports and sports?

Otto: We focus on demonstrating superior performance in specific areas. While we respect operators’ existing relationships with other providers, we can showcase our strengths in particular sports and esports disciplines. We’re exceptional at basketball and table tennis, for instance. Our models in these areas consistently outperform the competitors’.

The key is showing operators that consolidating with DATA.BET simplifies their operations and improves its margins and player experience. We work within the frameworks of our partnerships while finding ways to add value that others can’t match.

What’s particularly valuable is feedback from clients who initially were signed for esports, then also expanded to sports, and saw better performance than they had with their previous supplier.

What betting trends are you most excited about, and how is DATA.BET preparing?

Otto: The continued growth of live betting is transforming our industry. Players demand more engaging, responsive experiences – everything needs to happen in real-time. This is where our esports heritage gives us an advantage. Esports taught us that speed, accuracy, and synchronization are non-negotiable.

We’re building products where odds and game statistics visualization are timely matched. There’s no tolerance for a broken streaming feed with 30-second delays while odds update faster – that ruins the betting experience. Our unified approach ensures everything works together seamlessly. Widgets, Video Streaming capabilities, extensive markets – all synchronized and working as one cohesive system.

What’s the core message you want operators to understand about DATA.BET?

Otto: Simple: Betting that works. Stress-free, hassle-free, high-performance.

We deliver a fully functional, customizable sportsbook solution that adapts to your needs. Want to launch a new brand? Easy. Expanding to new markets? We have templates ready. Need to change your entire look and feel? It’s just a few clicks.

Our promise is steady performance, day after day, with all the tools you need to succeed. In an industry full of complexity, we’re the solution that works.

DATA.BET continues to expand its presence globally, with particular focus on emerging markets in Europe and Latin America. Their unified sportsbook solution represents a significant evolution from their esports roots, bringing the same performance-driven approach to traditional sports betting.

Christos Zoulianitis was recently installed as the Chief Commercial Officer of ENJOY, the industry’s newest kid on the block, which is already building a reputation for developing deeply memorable iGaming experiences that resonate with operators and players alike.

We caught up with the former Playson exec to find out how Enjoy aims to differentiate itself with its Slots and Live Game Shows portfolio, and why its experienced and diverse team is well positioned to make a major impact in the global iGaming industry.

Christos, what excites you most about joining Enjoy?

The most exciting part of joining ENJOY was the opportunity to build again something new — from the ground up — by combining the team’s extensive and diverse expertise with my own. Together, we have the power to shape fresh formats, blending the best of slot and live game development. It’s incredibly inspiring to be part of this journey and create a proposition even greater than what you’ve done before.

From a top-management perspective, it’s also thrilling to witness the team’s rapid evolution. We move fast, we grow daily — and we thrive on momentum. Every milestone we hit is not just a testament to our pace, but to our purpose. I can say that we are a very strong team that shares the same ambition of building exceptional experiences, and I believe that is the most important factor of our future growth.

Talk us through Enjoy content offering, what sets it apart from existing competition within the market?

At Enjoy, we’re focused on one factor above all: quality. Our core principle is simple — quality comes first. We create timeless slot games, but at the same time we are introducing a new experience of live game shows.

We have the market’s knowledge of what players like to play within a game and keep coming back. As I usually say, we focus on the post-entertainment factor, which is the feeling you receive after a game session ends. Because that feeling translates into long-term player loyalty in our games. What truly sets us apart is our team mindset and experience — we know exactly what works and how to do it right.

The live dealer space is a very competitive space – how has the company ensured its live game shows are appealing to operators and players?

The reason for starting to develop Live Game Shows is to redefine what live game entertainment can be through the creation of unique, next-gen Live Game Shows. Our Live titles merge the excitement of real-time interaction with the dynamic mechanics mix of slots, roulette, and wheel-based games, offering a hybrid experience that appeals to both traditional and modern players. Stepping into our studio feels like entering an entirely different universe. From the moment you walk onto the set, you’re transported into a world that rivals top-tier TV productions.

Our mission is to make players feel truly inside the game. A good example is the unique zoom-in effect we have implemented into our latest blockbuster Enchanted Forest, which makes the player feel like they are walking inside the forest of this magic studio.  So, whether you’re spinning the vibrant Wonder Wheel, diving into the mystical vibes of Enchanted Forest, or experiencing the luxury of x320 Roulette, each of our game shows offers a unique gameplay that grips the player.

This level of immersion doesn’t happen by accident — it’s the result of meticulous work and passion poured into every single production.

What can players expect from the Slots that you’re developing?

We’re bringing together the charm of classic mechanics with the polish of modern execution, delivering gameplay that is both instantly familiar and deeply memorable. Our best-performing titles Hot Fire Coins 2, Fire Express, and 3 Mariachi showcase the brilliance of our team to maximise the quality of the Hold and Win format – visually pleasing with plenty of features to experience.

Early performance data illustrates that these games have not only captured the attention of players across numerous international markets but also set a new standard within iGaming. Our commitment to delivering engaging and memorable gaming experiences has already helped us to gain the trust amongst operators and players alike.

Finally, can you provide us with further details on how you intend to shape ENJOY’S commercial growth?

Focusing on high-potential regulated markets is a top priority for us. Countries that we believe will provide ENJOY with the greatest opportunity to make an instant impact include Italy, Greece, Portugal and Brazil, while we’ll also be keeping a very close eye on other regions that embrace iGaming legislation.

Despite our journey being in its infancy, we’ve already secured important distribution deals with respected industry leaders such as Reevo, Digitain, Softswiss, and Slotegrator. For me, this speaks volumes about the supreme quality of our offering, with key industry players identifying the value of our dynamic roadmap. That really excites me and provides the belief that we can take the ENJOY experience to a vast global audience.

Above all else, we have an unwavering commitment to innovation, quality, and long-term relevance on the iGaming global stage. I have no doubt you’ll be hearing a lot more about ENJOY over the coming months!