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Malta

Would you work in igaming in Malta?

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Malta is a tiny, almost unknown island in the middle of the Mediterranean. Surprising  though, igaming companies, online casinos, payment providing companies and many others have found their way to Malta. And with the companies, there comes the employees. A large portion of the workers are young Europeans who have come to Malta in a search of a better life, more relaxed lifestyle and good job opportunities. Could Malta be a place for you? Could you imagine yourself joining to this ever expanding group of Nordic climate refugees and other better life seekers and come to work to Malta?

Finding work

I feel that it is pretty easy to find a job in Malta. Companies are looking for talents all the time, and especially speakers of Scandinavian languages are in high demand. You should do your homework well before applying, since companies vary a lot in terms of their working atmosphere, size and salary. It is a huge difference if you are working for an international, a Scandinavian or a Maltese company.

When you have found suitable companies, just hone your CV and start sending applications. I was able to find my job already while in Finland, but you can also wait until you are in Malta. As an EU citizen, I didn’t need any working permits; I didn’t even need any passport to come here! I just basically came and started working on the next day. Prior experience of the gaming industry is not required, but the most start working their way up from an entry level position, usually from customer support. You are expected to work there for the first six months minimum (the probation period).

What kind of experience is valued?

All experience is good, but you don’t need a prior experience from the gaming industry. You probably need to start from customer service anyway, so previous customer service experience and good writing skills are valued. Good English skills are a must and all other languages (especially Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Dutch, German, Spanish and Italian) are a plus.

What kind of degree is valued?

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Employers are not that interested in your education or degree. More important is your attitude and that you are a nice person with a common sense and quick learning skills. I was quite surprised of the fact that many people had an university degree and high working morals. I expected gaming people being either a bit nerdy game developer types or then very relaxed party animals.

What kind of people are working in Malta?

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If I could simplify a bit, I would say that there are three kinds of expats in Malta:

The first type is a young, a 20 something old high school graduate who has come to Malta in search of adventures and life experiences. Probably his or her friends were already in Malta and they told interesting stories about boat parties, free lunches and living an easy life in a penthouse with a sea view. They are probably working as customer supports in Malta and this is their first real job after some summer traineeships in their home country. This type enjoys the easy life, relatively good pay in Malta for two or three years, and then decides to return back to their home countries, apply to a university and start their real adult lives.

The other type is slightly older, around 30. He or she might have a university degree or some proper work experience. For some reason though, they want to leave from their home countries. Maybe they have recently broken up from a relationship, lost their job or graduated without a job and there is nothing holding them back in their home country. They just end up in Malta, maybe because of a job or because of a relationship or just by coincidence. They probably end up being in Malta for a year or two, until they feel that they want to live in some bigger place. Or then they return back home to settle down and start a family.

The third type has been interested in playing as long as he was able to hold a Nintendo. He or she is interested in gaming industry, plays in his or her free time, visits casinos and wants to learn about the industry. He or she has been in Malta for years and witnessed the rapid development of the industry. This person knows who is who in  the field and has probably partied with everyone of them once or twice. This person is around 30, maybe a bit more and is working in managerial tasks or as an owner  of some gaming company. Only death can take this person away from Malta. Death or some better tax laws for gaming companies.

Pros of working in Malta?

  • Finding a job is easy
  • If you are lucky and good, you can get promotion relatively fast
  • Working environment is quite relaxed and most of your work mates are young people from the same y- and z-generations as you are
  • The salary is better in the igaming industry compared to the average salary level of the country
  • You can get nice perks: lunches, parties, gym memberships…
  • The weather and the sea
  • Work tasks are versatile and interesting
  • Hiring process is a lot quicker from what I have been used to

Cons of working in Malta?

  • People change jobs quite often and you are having new work mates all the time
  • Probation period is longer than in my home country Finland
  • I earn 1k less than what  I did in Finland or in Australia
  • Your future employers might be a bit suspicious of your working experience in the gambling industry
  • Rents are high and going up every year. There might be mould in the apartments and your landlord might be a total money loving, cheating skunk.
  • The public transport is a pain in the ass. Infrastructure is not what I’m used to in Finland.

All in all, I can recommend working in Malta. This has been an experience one of its kind, and I have been positively surprised by many things. I left here without knowing what to expect, and I hope that this post will help all of you who might consider working somewhere in Europe and consider Malta as one of the options.

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