Gamblers spent US$139 million in Malta in 2015

According to a survey by the Malta Gaming Authority, 56 percent of the Maltese population spent approximately US$139 million on gambling activities.

Malta.- The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) organised its first ever survey into the consumption of gaming services in the country and discovered that 56 percent of its population participated in some form of gambling in 2015 and spent a total of nearly US$139 million in it.

According to the report, there was an average weekly amount expense of US$13,70 and the lottery was the most popular form of gambling, followed by gaming salons and outlets. Maltese gamblers are predominantly aged 45 and over and unemployed, the survey showed.

The MGA study indicates that between two and four thousand gamblers in Malta say that gambling has harmed their lifestyle at some point, but problems associated with regular gambling are somewhat contained. Illegal activities are mainly linked to the more extensive and serious problems associated with its practice.

Malta Today reported that Silvio Schembri, the Parliamentary secretary for the digital economy, commented that the survey was necessary to understand the effect of gambling on the everyday lives of Maltese people.

Meanwhile, MGA executive chairman Joseph Cuschieri explained that it will serve as a tool for shareholders to shape policies based on scientific data rather than on impressions or myths, while providing information for a better debate about the economic and social effects of the activity in the country.