Canadian online gambling company The Stars Group has moved its office in Malta to a new location, local media has reported. The new office was inaugurated by Joseph Muscat, who was recently re-elected as Prime Minister of the island nation.
It was only a few days ago when the gaming group completed a planned rebranding from what we have previously known as Amaya Inc.
The Stars Group opened its first office in the sun-kissed Mediterranean island nation back in 2012 with only several staff members. Its workforce in Malta generally increased to more than 300 people, which necessitated the recently completed relocation. The Stars Group’s Maltese operations involve several departments with employees from 30 different countries.
Commenting on the new office’s inauguration, CEO Rafi Ashkenazi said that Malta has proved a welcoming host back in 2012 when The Stars Group arrived and that they are happy to have the opportunity to renew their commitment to the island nation.
Among other things, The Stars Group is also the owner of the PokerStars and BetStars online gambling brands. While BetStars was launched only several years ago and is yet to establish itself in the highly competitive iGaming space, PokerStars is currently the leader in the provision of online poker services, holding more than two-thirds of the market.
The recent change of name was partly justified with the continued success of the PokerStars brand and with the great expectations owners have about the BetStars brand.
The Stars Group is one of the many gambling companies to have opened offices in Malta at a time when the country is trying to establish itself as a leading online gambling licensing jurisdiction.
It has recently been announced that the Malta Gaming Authority has been working closely with the country’s government on the creation of a revised online gambling regulatory framework. Among other things, the new laws will look to improve Malta’s iGaming licensing system by scrapping unnecessary bureaucracy.
If approved into law, the new Gaming Act will remove the multi-licensing system in favor of one that will feature only two types of licenses. The MGA will thus grant licenses for B2C operations or for B2B operations. The regulatory body has issued more than 500 gaming licenses to date and there are companies that currently hold up to 13 different licenses from it.
The gaming authority has explained its decision to change the current law with the fact that a simpler licensing system will allow it to focus the greater portion of its attention to more important matters. The MGA has also been looking to strengthen its mechanisms for the prevention of money laundering, fraud, and other criminal activities that may occur within the gambling industry if it is not regulated and monitored properly.
