The number of iGaming companies has decreased from 275 to 265 from December 2012 to January 2017, a parliamentary question has revealed.

The PQ, which was tabled by MP Chris Said and answered by Minister for Competitiveness and Digital, Maritime and Services Economy Manuel Mallia, also showed that the number of licenses has actually increased from 410 to 510 within the same period.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, A spokesperson for the ministry attributed the decreased as the result of "enhanced enforcement actions by the Malta Gaming Authority, and also due to mergers and acquisitions taking place in the market".

"The consolidation is a common phenomenon with a number of companies merging in order to achieve operational synergies and be better equipped to face the challenges in the European market"

The spokesperson also highlighted that the gaming sector had grown by 12% in terms of Gross Value Added in the economy between 2015 and 2016.

This, the spokesperson claimed, was the result of an increase in presence of gaming companies on the island. For example, the ministry said, employment within the sector has increased by 31% between 2015 and 2016. "We are expecting 2017 to perform even better than 2016 in this respect".

The 2017 Edition of the Boston Link iGaming Salary Survey found that salaries within the iGaming industry in Malta are competitive and "impressive" but were still not as high as other iGaming hubs such as London or Gibraltar.

When asked by The Malta Independent as to whether or not a saturation point has been reached in the sector, the spokesperson said that this was not the case and that "the market has more potential to grow in the foreseeable future."

The Malta Gaming Authority is yet to respond to questions sent by this newsroom.