Watch: Robert Abela eyes bringing SiGMA’s largest event back to Malta

Watch: Robert Abela eyes bringing SiGMA’s largest event back to Malta
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Prime Minister Robert Abela has set his sights on reclaiming one of the island’s most lucrative international gatherings, telling delegates at the SiGMA Asia summit in Manila that “Malta is ready to welcome the world’s biggest SiGMA show home again.”
The comment, captured in a short video clip that raced through Maltese group chats this morning, immediately sparked speculation that the 2025 flagship fair—currently pencilled in for São Paulo—could be lured back to the Mediterranean.

For a country that measures barely 316 km², Malta has long punched above its weight in the global iGaming calendar. When SiGMA founder Eman Pulis staged the first 2,000-person expo at the Hilton in 2014, St Julian’s was still better known for its summer festa fireworks than for blockchain keynotes and roulette-dressed hostesses. A decade on, the November congress has ballooned into a 25,000-delegate behemoth that fills every five-star bed from Valletta to Mellieħa, pours an estimated €40 million into the economy, and turns the sleepy November shoulder season into a second Christmas for restaurateurs, taxi drivers and Airbnb hosts.

Speaking to Maltese reporters after his keynote, Abela recalled how the 2023 edition coincided with the national football team’s biggest win in years. “You could hear the horns from the conference centre all the way to Sliema,” he laughed. “That’s the Malta I want the world to see—tech-savvy, open-hearted and impossible to separate from its festa spirit.”

But the PM’s charm offensive is also a calculated homecoming bid at a time when Brazil’s economic volatility and visa headaches have left some sponsors restless. Sources close to the Malta Gaming Authority hinted that a “competitive incentive package” is already being drafted, including streamlined licensing sweeteners and a pledge to extend the Malta International Airport runway hours to accommodate extra long-haul charters.

Locals greeted the news with a mix of pride and pragmatism. “We missed the buzz last year,” said Maria Micallef, whose family bakery in Hamrun sells ftira to exhibitors queueing for shuttle buses. “But we also remember the traffic jams on Regional Road at 3 a.m. If it comes back, the government needs to think about the small streets, not just the big hotels.”

Indeed, the last SiGMA week in Malta generated 180 tonnes of additional waste, prompting waste-collection contractor GreenPak to draft an “event surge plan” that could be revived. Transport Malta has also floated the idea of water-taxi shuttles from the Grand Harbour to ease pressure on the coastal arteries.

Culturally, the prospect of SiGMA’s return intersects with a broader national conversation about identity. The expo’s carnival-styled opening party—complete with carnival dancers and a brass band twist on Għana folk music—has become a modern counterpoint to the village festa calendar. “Suddenly you have Swedish CEOs learning the Maltese word ‘ħelu’ because someone handed them a honey ring,” notes cultural anthropologist Dr. Ritienne Gauci. “That playful exchange is worth preserving.”

Social-impact groups are urging government to lock in legacy projects. “We propose a SiGMA Scholarship Fund for ICT students at MCAST,” said Stephanie Fabri, economist at the Malta Chamber of Commerce. “Let’s convert three days of champagne into three years of opportunity for our youth.”

Abela appears to be listening. In a Facebook Live last night he promised that any deal “will prioritise Maltese talent, Maltese venues and Maltese traditions”. The sub-text is clear: after years of pandemic disruption and economic uncertainty, Malta wants its marquee event—and the global spotlight—back where the sea is turquoise and the church bells still ring on Sunday morning.

A final decision is expected by September, but betting shops already have Malta as the 2-1 favourite. As one Manila delegate put it while sipping a Kinnie in 30-degree heat: “Malta isn’t just a destination; it’s the story SiGMA likes to tell about itself.” For an island that thrives on stories, bringing that narrative home could be the biggest jackpot yet.