Parliamentary Secretary José Herrera said that the government was committed to work with Malta's iGaming industry to reduce the impact of overseas legislation, including the introduction of an additional UK tax.

As from 1 December, online gaming companies will have to obtain an additional licence - and pay additional taxes as a result - if they provide online gambling services in the UK.

At a seminar organised by EY in preparation for the Malta iGaming Summit, which will be held in the coming days, Dr Herrera said that such changes inevitably provided a new challenge to the local sector.

"But we are ready to work hand in hand with operators to reduce, as much as we can, the impact that such legislation can have. Malta is proud of the regulations it provides to the sector, through which consumers are protected," the parliamentary secretary maintained.

Dr Herrera also observed that the Lotteries and Gaming Authority has building its ties with its UK counterpart.

But in his address, he also expressed his disappointment at the steps certain EU member states were taking to contain the online gambling sector.

"In our opinion, such steps may not only go against the principal guarantees of the EU treaties but could also lead to a further fragmentation of the sector, to the detriment of consumers," he maintained.

The parliamentary secretary added that Malta was striving to protect the industry, even on an international level, and insisted that the country's jurisdiction was the best one for the sector.