€1.50
THURSDAY 2 APRIL 2020 • ISSUE 52
WWW.BUSINESSTODAY.COM.MT
MASSIMO COSTA
THE local gaming industry is feel-
ing the repercussions of the eco-
nomic impact of COVID-19, with
land-based casinos and sports bet-
ting operators having been dealt
the worst cards.
A spokesperson for the Malta
Gaming Authority told Business-
Today that certain areas of the
gaming sector are facing major
challenges, due mainly to the com-
plete closure of land-based casinos
and the cancellation of virtually all
sport tournaments.
Operators offering online gam-
ing services could be faring better,
as more people stuck indoors turn
to the internet for entertainment,
however they might also suffer in
the future if people's income drops
as the coronavirus wreaks havoc on
the global economy.
Enrico Bradamante, chairman
of iGen, a representative group of
the gaming sector, confirmed with
this newspaper that sport betting
activity has completely ground to a
halt, as an obvious consequence of
sporting events around the world
having been cancelled in a bid to
prevent the spread of the virus.
e gaming sector is Malta's
third-largest private sector contrib-
utor to the economy, with its input
having reached 13.6% in terms of
total value added in the first six
months of 2019.
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Editorial PAGE 7
EU CANNOT REPEAT 2015 MISTAKE
Gaming's coronavirus pinch
Land-based and sport betting
operators face 'severe' challenges
Study predicts
Italy Covid-19
infections down
to zero by 7 May
PAUL COCKS
A study commissioned by the Department of
Robbotics at Magellan Robotech, a subsuduary of
Stanleybet Group, has concluded that coronavirus
infections in Italy have already reached a peak and
should be down to zero aroun 7 May.
Italy has registered the highest number of Cov-
id-19 deaths globally, at 12,428, with over 105,000
having been diagnosed positive.
Single forecasting models on
citizens' behaviour were created for
China and for the eight countries
where the Stanleybet Group is
present, including Malta
