Why studios are opening offices in Malta and Cyprus

Introduction: why even "transfer" the studio to the hub

Four factors are important for the studio: regulation, access to markets/payments, talent and cost of operations. Malta and Cyprus close these points at the same time: demand is formed here (operators, aggregators, publishers), there are full-cycle specialists (mathematics, game design, front/back, BI, anti-fraud, live-production), fintech and an understandable legal environment are developed.

Why Malta

1) Regulatory Capital (MGA)

Malta is historically iGaming's "European showcase," with a strong culture of compliance and documentation.

It is easier to negotiate with tier-1 operators: "address in Malta" reads like a signal of maturity.

The ecosystem of audit providers, legal and licensing consultants is within walking distance.

2) Dense B2B/B2C ecosystem

In one radius - platforms, aggregators, PSP, BI providers, media and recruiting.

Monthly meetups/conferences: pipeline of partners and collaborations quickly gathers.

3) iGaming hiring and expertise

There are many specialists "with an industry background" - less time for onboarding in the specifics of RNG/certification, RTP matrices and Responsible Gaming.

4) Cons

More expensive offices and personnel, high competition for middle +/senior.

Market saturation - it's harder to stand out in PR without strong content.

Why Cyprus (Limassol and vicinity)

1) Operational and technological hub

Strong R&D teams: front/back, DevOps, data, anti-fraud, product analytics, publishing functions.

Convenient watch position for Europe/Middle East; time intersections with the CIS and Turkey.

2) Talent and value

Large pool of multilingual professionals (EU/CIS/Israel/Turkey).

The price/quality ratio of hiring and living is lower than in the capitals of Western Europe.

3) Fintech and payments

Variety of PSP/ACQ partners, operational integrations, flexibility in local methods.

4) Cons

Growing competition for personnel, wage inflation in the iGaming/fintech segment.

For high-compliance cases, you still often need a "regulatory" circuit in another jurisdiction.

Malta vs Cyprus: Key differences short

Criterion	Malta	Cyprus
Main role	Regulatory and business dev center (operators, licenses, PR)	Production and operations hub (R&D, BI, publishing functions)
Access to partners	Aggregators/publishers/auditors "around the corner"	Strong engineers, production, backhoe
Hiring	Many "ready-made" iGaming resumes	Broad multicultural pool, profitable salary matrix
Cost	Above (offices/salaries/housing)	Lower with comparable quality
Image for negotiations	"Quality mark" for tier-1	"Strong technical base" and release speed
Minuses	Competition and cost	Growing hiring price tag, need an external regulatory "shield"

Typical Placement Scenarios

Scenario 1. "Double circuit" (often in mature studios)

HQ in Malta: business virgin, licensing, partnerships, PR.

Production in Cyprus: development, QA, BI, anti-fraud, GTM publishing.

Plus: balance of reputation and cost. Minus: we need built processes of inter-office synchronization.

Scenario 2. "Start from Cyprus, exit to Malta"

Stage 1: Team/product in Cyprus for speed and value.

Stage 2: "front" in Malta for negotiations with top operators and IP copyright holders.

Plus: fast time-to-market. Risk: plan compliance requirements in a timely manner.

Scenario 3. Malta Solo (for high compliance B2C/B2B)

The entire business circuit and part of R&D in Malta; "satellites" - in Eastern Europe.

Plus: a strong signal to the market. Minus: it is more expensive to operate.

What exactly studios "buy" by opening an office in a hub

1. Speed of trades. Face-to-face meetings, fast pilots, local reviews with auditors/laboratories.

2. Convenient payments. PSP/Acquirer portfolio, local methods, transparent reporting.

3. Personnel conveyor. Relokate and local hiring with relevant iGaming experience.

4. Community and knowledge. Networking, regular meetups, RG/KYC/AML practices, exchange of certification experience.

5. Fast GTM. Brand partnerships, streamer networks, tournament events, PR coverage.

Functions that are logical to keep in the hub

Licensing and compliance (especially in Malta).

BD and partnerships (operators, aggregators, IP copyright holders).

PSP management and financial operations (contracts, reporting, reconciliation).

R&D, QA, Data/BI, anti-fraud (especially in Cyprus).

Live operations and studio production (in conjunction with other EU locations).

Risks and how to cover them

Overheating salaries. Long-term offers, ESOP/bonus plans, grow-from-junior programs.

Culture blurring in the multiophis. Common rituals, OKR, single PRD/release cadence, regular offsites.

Compliance incidents. Unified RTP/config version control, logging, post-mortem plan.

Dependence on offline offices. Hybrid and distributed commands, clear security and access policies.

Office start-up checklist

1. Legal framework: legal entity/holding, IP ownership, contracts with providers/aggregators.

2. Compliance matrix: licenses, RNG/mathematics certification, RG policy, reporting.

3. Payment rails: PSP/Acquirer set, KYC/AML processes, SLA by cashouts.

4. HR contour: relocation, visas, benefits, grades and salary forks, hiring for critical roles.

5. Technical circuit: RGS/servers, monitoring, alerts, backups/DR, security.

6. GTM kit: press kit, operator landings, tournament mechanics, event calendar.

7. Finmodel: opex for office/salaries/taxes, unit-economics plan for releases.

Metrics used to judge office success

Time-to-deal with operators/aggregators.

Release speed (GDD to certified build).

Share of organic matter (mentions, streams, incoming leads).

Hire velocity and retention teams.

Payment KPIs: share of successful transactions, median cashout time (for B2C), quality reconciliation.

Malta and Cyprus are not "fashions" but tools of strategy. Malta strengthens the negotiating position and compliance agenda, Cyprus gives speed and cost of production. The best results are provided by a combination: regulatory and BD-circuit in Malta + production and analytical unit in Cyprus. If you plan in advance hiring, payments, licensing and inter-office processes, the hub turns into a growth lever: faster transactions, better product and more stable economy.