Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537082
JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 JULY 2025 NEWS Self-exclusion requests from casinos reach all time high THE number of players volun- tarily excluding themselves from land-based gaming establish- ments in Malta rose to 1,691 in 2024, a 6% increase over the pre- vious year, according to the Malta Gaming Authority's (MGA) latest annual report. The number of self-excluded individuals is now the highest ever recorded since 2014. Self-ex- clusions consistently increased between 2014 and 2019 but dropped substantially during the pandemic years, when gaming establishments were subject to restrictions. However, in 2024, the number of self-exclusions surpassed that of 2019. The MGA states that this in- crease reflects both the ongoing promotion of responsible gam- bling and the cumulative effect of recurring one-year exclusions, which are automatically renewed. Under current regulations, in- dividuals can self-exclude from casinos, commercial bingo halls, and controlled gaming premises for either six or twelve months. Players who self-exclude from casinos for six months are au- tomatically allowed back once the period ends, with no further action required. However, those who choose a 12-month exclu- sion must formally request rein- statement; otherwise, the exclu- sion is automatically renewed. This rolling effect means many players remain excluded year af- ter year, contributing to the over- all rise in numbers. In 2024, 34.4% of players opted for a six-month exclusion, while 65.6% applied for a 12-month exclusion. This marked a shift from the previous year, when 950 individuals chose the 12-month option. That figure rose to 1,110 in 2024, while 581 players select- ed the six-month ban, down from 646. The growing share of 12-month exclusions, which remain in ef- fect unless actively cancelled, is pushing up annual totals and sug- gests a preference for longer-term self-regulation among players. Most self-excluded individuals were men (77.1%), and the larg- est share (36.8%) came from the 35–54 age group. Only 3.8% of exclusions were among players aged 18–24, while the rest were spread across the 25–34 (24.4%), 55–64 (16.4%), and 65+ (18.6%) age brackets. More young people visiting casinos While self-exclusion requests increased, visits to Malta's four licensed casinos declined by 3.8% to 889,902 in 2024. Operators attributed this drop to renova- tion-related disruptions, more stringent financial checks, and adjustments in promotional ac- tivities. However, visits by young adults rose sharply. The number of ca- sino visits by 18–24-year-olds increased by 20.6% over 2023, making them the fastest-grow- ing age cohort. This group now represents 17.2% of total visits, up from 14.3% the previous year. The largest visiting cohort re- mained those aged 65+ (26.2%), followed by the 35–54 age group (25.1%). Despite fewer visits, the casino sector remained financially resil- ient. Total gross gaming revenue (GGR) held steady at €61.1 mil- lion, with a record-high average spend per visit of €68.60—an in- crease of 10.5% over 2023. The MGA attributed this to a higher proportion of visits by players with greater spending capacity. Foreigners continued to domi- nate the customer base, account- ing for 65.7% of all casino visits. Visits by Maltese players declined by 12.9%, while non-Maltese vis- its increased slightly by 1.7%. In controlled gaming premises, venues housing gaming devices regulated under the Gaming Act, player registrations fell sharply to 2,080, a 38.6% drop compared to 2023. Men made up 80.4% of players. Maltese players account- ed for 38.4% of visits, with the remainder being non-Maltese residents or tourists. Despite the fall in registrations, average reve- nue per visit increased slightly by 1.2% to €18.06. Controlled gaming was heavi- ly concentrated in the Northern Harbour region, which hosted 70.1% of all registered players. This was followed by the South- ern Harbour region (14.8%), with significantly lower shares in the South-Eastern (5.9%), North- ern (4.2%), Western (4.1%), and Gozo-Comino (0.9%) regions. Meanwhile, the commercial bingo sector also experienced a downturn. Visits declined by 14.1%, attributed in part to the closure of halls in Birkirkara and Valletta and a temporary closure in Qawra. Despite fewer visits, av- erage revenue per visit increased by 10.6% to €17.70. Players aged 65 and over remained the dom- inant segment, accounting for 55.8% of visits. Year Number of self-exclusions 2014 1017 2015 1159 2016 1277 2017 1393 2018 1585 2019 1602 2020 1258 2021 1247 2022 1530 2023 1596 2024 1691