Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1034189
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 GAMING BLOCKCHAIN G8 AS an industry that contrib- utes over €1.2 billion and 12 per cent towards the na- tional GDP and employs over 12,000 people in Malta, iG- aming is an integral part of life in Malta. With that in mind, iGaming Idol has become the Oscars of the iGaming Industry, a sec- tor that has made Malta the home for gaming excellence. Now in its third year, the popularity of the event and the demand for participation for sponsorship grew tremen- dously with the attendance increasing by over 25 per cent between 2017 and 2018. This encouraged the or- ganisers to find a new home to host the event, and they settled upon the Bay Arena, within the Intercontinental Hotel in St Julian's. iGaming Idol is built on three pillars: the Recognition of Talent; Entertainment and Charity. With regards to the latter, the organisers are proud to have raised over €20,000 for the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation through charity fundraisers and pro- ceeds from the event this year alone. Speaking at the Awards, Sil- vio Schembri, Junior Minister for Financial Services, Digi- tal Economy and Innovation, referred to iGaming Idol as a staple in the iGaming calen- dar and an event that rewards excellence to critical people in the industry. Referring to the sector, he said, "we want to embrace and celebrate these achievements and continue to ensure that both homegrown and foreign talent keep having Malta as the launch pad for their iG- aming career." Schembri also announced that, following the published consultation document in March that sparked conver- sations among stakeholders on the introduction of Dis- tributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and virtual currencies, the Malta Gaming Authority is taking things a step further and will be launching a Sand- box for DLT. Schembri concluded his speech by presenting the first- ever 'Hall of Fame' Award to George Debrincat for his dedication to and proactivity in the industry since its incep- tion. The night continued with hosts – industry veteran Mi- chael Casselli and the head reporter of Calvin Ayre and Coin Geek Rebecca Liggero – announcing the rest of the winners. iGaming's 'Oscars' a wonderful success 520 industry experts attended iGaming Idol Malta's most prestigious awards event on 26 September. 22 awards were handed out to recognise outstanding achievements of individuals working in the iGaming sector