Malta-licensed gambling operators increased their share of the local economy in 2018, according to the latest annual report by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

On Tuesday, the MGA released its 2018 Annual Report and Financial Statements, which offers a detailed picture of the local gaming industry as of December 31, 2018. The gaming sector accounted for 13.2% of Malta’s overall economic activity last year, the fourth-highest producing sector, and nearly two points higher than 2017’s share.

There were 273 MGA-licensed online companies at the end of 2018, down slightly from 287 at the end of 2017. However, the MGA noted that it had revised its licensing scheme last year, allowing operators to apply for a Corporate Group License, which allows multiple companies to operate under a single license. Nine companies representing 17 entities are currently licensed under this group designation.

The MGA also introduced its new two-license system – one for B2B operations, another for B2C activity – last August. As of December 31, the B2C category accounted for 75% of the total license base.