Online Casino, casinos

Malta: the ideal base for online casino operators     
 
This small archipelago in the very heart of the Mediterranean has 400,000 inhabitants. Millions of visitors from all over the world spend their holidays on this superb island, the ideal base for online casino, virtual poker house and internet sports betting operators wanting to obtain a reliable European licence.

  Malta is one of the only places whose licence has real value in the eyes of European countries. Unlike other countries which grant “European” licences, Malta is very exacting towards casinos and does not easily grant gaming licences. Obtaining a Maltese licence requires complete openness on the part of online gambling operators and Bwin is one of the holders of this highly coveted licence. Many online casinos or poker houses don’t have a Maltese licence because they do not wish to reveal their accounts or because more or less “shady” characters are hiding behind the management of these companies. Moreover, some online casinos are to be found on the casino blacklist and will never be able to obtain a licence from this very beautiful and surprisingly little-known archipelago.

In this article on Malta, we will examine Malta’s history, it’s geography, its islands and also its economy.


Historical Background

 Malta has been invaded, colonised and governed by numerous civilisations: the Malteses’ past was moulded by the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Normans, the Aragonese, the Knights of St John, the French and finally the British. All of them passed on part of their culture which, over the centuries, has shaped the Maltese identity.

Napoleon seized the island of Malta in 1798 while en route to Egypt. Two years later, Malta requested the assistance of the British, rebelling against the pillaging of the island by French troops and the unpopular laws imposed by Napoleon. In 1802, the Treaty of Amiens stipulated that the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino were to be handed over to the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. Thus, the latter was to administer the islands under the same conditions which had applied when it possessed them before the war.

In 1816, the British officially annexed Malta, imposed the English language and seized economic and political power. Faced with a ground swell of nationalist demands, the British granted a new Constitution and the number of Maltese representatives increased on the Council of Government, which recognised the Maltese language.

The Maltese national flag bears a George Cross medal, awarded by King George for the archipelago’s resistance during the Second World War. Malta is located in a strategic position and hampered the Axis powers’ supplies in North Africa, from the moment that they wanted to seize the Suez Canal.

On 21st September 1964, Malta was recognised as independent, but kept Queen Elizabeth at its head in the same way as numerous Commonwealth countries.  On 13th December 1974 Dom Mintoff, the Prime Minister, proclaimed a Republic and placed a President at the head of Malta’s government.

 English influence is very pervasive today in Malta. Indeed, cars are driven on the left and have their steering wheel on the right as in Great Britain. Moreover, red telephone boxes can be seen everywhere on Maltese streets. Finally, English is as widely spoken as Maltese and the inhabitants are completely bilingual. A large number of places in Malta’s streets evidence the presence of the English who are an integral part of Maltese history.

Maltese can be compared to Arabic but is written in the Latin alphabet. Maltese has also assimilated words of Italian consonance and certain French words: (bonswa=bonsoir, metru=mètre, litru=litre). Maltese is an official language of the European Union. Maltese was designated as an official language in 1934 and a National Council for the Maltese Language is responsible for the promotion of Maltese and with official spelling and vocabulary. The first teaching language in primary schools is Maltese and the educational system is bilingual. At university, the lecturer may choose the teaching language to use, either Maltese or English.

Geography, demography and religion

Malta is an archipelago in the very heart of the Mediterranean. It is 100 kilometres to the South of Sicily and a few kilometres from Tunisia. The island measures 27 kilometres in length and 14.5 kilometres in breadth. It takes no longer than 45 minutes to cross the island from north to south.
Almost 400,000 people live on Malta and the population are largely descendants of the Phoenicians, Italians, Arabs and British.  With a population density of 1,266.5 inhabitants per square kilometre, Malta is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

 The State religion is Roman Catholicism and the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Everyone can practice their religion as they choose. Religion has a strong presence in Malta as is evidenced by the images of the Virgin which are to be seen above doorways and in the streets. Moreover, churches – Baroque, Neo-Gothic and medieval chapels – are found in large numbers in all Maltese districts.


The Islands and the Maltese economy

Gozo, Malta’s sister island. It is probably on this island that the archipelago’s first inhabitants established themselves around 3,500 years BC. Gozo is smaller than Malta but more rural and more peaceful. The Ggantija Temples are one of the most important archeological sites in the world their megaliths are so imposing that the Gozotians believed that they had been built by giants, hence their name the “Giants’ Tower”. The Azure Window at Dwejra is a wonder of nature, a rock hollowed out by the waves overhanging the sea, surrounded by magnificent cliffs and, a few steps away, an inland sea with its small traditional fishing boats. Away from the coast rises Fungus Rock, a rock prized by the Knights for its mushrooms. The red sandy beach of Ramla l-Hamra, is nestled deep in the surrounding countryside which is ideal for walking. Nearby is the cave where the nymph Calypso is said to have held Odysseus for 7 years and which makes Gozo a legendary island. Gozitan gastronomy is not to be outdone with its famous goats’ cheese and all the natural flavours coming from its countryside, which incite only one wish: to come back for more.

Gozo is magnificent; its capital Victoria and its medieval citadel are spots which are greatly enjoyed by tourists.

At the economic level, Malta lives from tourism and online gaming as a non-negligible source of revenue. Indeed, B3W is the owner of casinos such as Yachting Casino and Flamingo Casino. About a hundred people work in Malta, excluding the numerous jobs created by Bwin and Unibet who have their registered offices in Malta. Malta offers numerous maritime activities to its tourists such as boat trips on the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino. The boats show the sights of Malta’s capital, Valletta, and the Grand Harbour. Then, the bays of Marsascala, St Thomas and Peter’s Pool can be visited. The trips last one whole day to see the treasures of this magnificent country and some of its lagoons.

Catamaran tours are organised discovering, by sail, of paradisaical spots and tourists can get their heads under the water with diving masks and snorkel at their disposal. In addition, for those who want to explore the seabed without needing to dive with oxygen canisters, the Underwater Safari is the best option. It is possible to discover the underwater world around the Saint Paul islands where you might see a nonchalant octpus searching for prey or for a cave to take a siesta, different species of fish shooting out of incredible subaquatic formations, and many other unforgettable underwater spectacles.
 
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