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.