Malta’s gaming industry accounted for over 12% of the Maltese economy in the first half of 2017.

On Wednesday, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) released its interim report covering the six months ending June 30, during which Malta-based gaming operators contributed €556m of gross value to the local economy, 10.4% higher than in the same period last year.

The total sum accounted for 12.1% of Malta’s overall economy, up from 11.8% in H1 2016. The government reaped €29m from gaming industry taxes, 3.4% higher year-on-year, representing 5.5% of the government’s total tax haul.

The number of Malta-licensed gaming operators stood at 282 as of June 2017, up 6% from the end of 2016, and nearly back to the 283 companies that were in operation in H1 2015.