The government of Malta has just finalised an agreement with the Eden leisure group to receive a 10-year licence for a land-based casino in Malta. The government confirmed that the Eden Leisure group has won the competitive bidding process which started about half a year ago at the end of July. Chris Cardona, the minister for economy said that issuing the licence is part of the message that Malta is ensuring that the economy is continuing to grow. The second favourite bidder was the Dragonara Gaming Ltd, and they will start negotiations with the government in order to possibly obtain another licence for a second casino. At the moment, the Dragonara Casino is one of the most popular casinos in Malta, together with the Casino at Portomaso.
The Eden Leisure group is Malta’s largest entertainment group and was initially established in 1966, under the name of Sunny Resorts. Since then the company grew and started expanding, never stopping to re-invent and improve their facilities and services. Today, the group operates the Eden Superbowl bowling centre, the radio station Bay Radio, Eden Cinemas, Cynergi Health and Fitness Club, Bay Arena, Intercontinental Hotel Malta, Eden Car Park and the Numero Uno open air club. A land-based casino is going to be a good addition to the entertainment portfolio of the group.
The casino industry in Malta is part of the gaming industry, which is one of Malta’s leading economic sectors. The prestigious casinos regularly host events, such as poker tournaments. The strongest part of the industry are the online casinos. Their popularity is constantly growing, and the sector is performing very well. It is expected that the overall revenues of the casino industry grows by 15% next year. Additionally, the Maltese government is implementing even more measures to promote Malta as a gaming jurisdiction and to train workers in the gaming industry.
