By ALBERT FENECH 
The Sigma Europe Conference held in late November left a strong economic impact on Malta, with the founder of the event, Eman Pulis, saying that the Conference left more than €100 million in the Maltese economy.
At the same time the international finance monitoring agency Moody’s confirmed Malta’s A2 rating with stable prospects. The agency’s economist attributed this rating to the country’s strong economic growth, which will continue to be higher than that of other EU countries.
In addition, Emmanuel Daniels, the Founder of a Digital Company commented, “Generally Malta has a very good reputation. It’s a trusted economy, it’s a friendly economy and it’s a very transparent economy. So, on those fronts Malta rates very, very well. It’s also a very stable economy and a stable society. All of these add to the comfort level of private investors.”
Once more, these comments, facts and statistics cause admiration as to how the small Maltese Islands are contending with the economic obstacles which today block the improvement of economies in much larger countries.
What is the developing reason for these successes? In recent years Government administration has thrown off the stereotype shackles of being Socialist, or Capitalist and other stereotypes and has worked on the premise that a judicial and fair dose of free enterprise measures and which benefit the interests of the community for a better living are approved and legislated.
Eman Pulis (in English pronounced “Pewlis” but in Maltese, “Police” – although no connection whatsoever to the Police forces!!!), is the mastermind behind the Sigma Conference, which hosts seven annual events around the world, with two of them in Europe.
He announced that next year the 2025 events in Europe will be held in Milan and Malta, with that in Malta being held in September, to meet the traffic and weather challenges.
The Sigma conference has been held in Malta for ten years, and according to its founder Eman Pulis, the 2024 conference left over €100 million in the Maltese economy.
“We leave over €100 million in the Maltese economy, so these are €100 million from which the Government will collect a lot of tax. Everyone will benefit from that tax, not just the few.”
He added that thanks to this event and Malta’s jurisdiction, hundreds of quality jobs are being created.
“That is, you have delegates coming from all over the world, as they land in Malta for the first time and learn how strong Malta is in gaming, and how much the MGA still has power in this sector, it is not the first time that you have companies which, after attending Sigma, decide to open an office in Malta. So this also means a large number of jobs being created every year after Sigma is held.”
SiGMA Europe 2024 hosted a dynamic range of conferences covering critical topics, from the potential of e-sports to shape betting’s future to many other gaming insights. 
Big industry names brought high value content to the stage, providing actionable strategies for navigating new markets and capitalising on emerging opportunities.
Top speakers included Joe Pisano, founder and CEO of Jade Entertainment and Gaming Technologies, Uri Poliavich, founder and CEO of Soft2Bet, Alex Tomic, Founder of Alea, Vitali Matsukevich, COO at Softswiss, and Charles Mizzi, CEO of the MGA.
Malta Prime Minister Robert Abela has promised to secure a more suitable venue for future editions of the Sigma conference after it was revealed that Milan will host the flagship event next year but a conference will also be staged n Malta..
Speaking in an interview with The Times of Malta, the Prime Minister disclosed that while a Sigma event will still take place in Malta in 2025, it will still be one of the biggest Sigma gatherings. It will also shift from its usual November slot to September.
ALBERT FENECH
