Gaming and iGaming are two terms which have been confused over the years, even though they mean two completely different sectors.

The two industries have been on the rise in Malta for quite some time, with the country becoming a Mediterranean iGaming hub, while gaming is now becoming more widely accepted by the local community as an industry like every other.

However, GMR and Playcon Director Kersten Chircop has voiced his frustration about the considerable amount of confusion there still is about the two distinct industries.

Speaking during the Grow Up Podcast recently, hosted by Daniel Gatt, Mr Chircop remarked that even though on a worldwide basis, gaming refers to the videogames industry, in Malta it ended up being used for the betting industry instead.

Mr Chircop has worked in the gaming and esports industry for over a decade, combining his technical background, business development skills, and event management expertise to create esports events and platforms. He has served as Director of Malta-based esports event organiser GMR for 11 years, and is also Director at videogames expo Playcon. Additionally, Mr Chircop is Vice President of the Malta Esports Association, which represents the local esports community.

“It is so difficult now that Malta has a videogame industry to explain to the general public, entities, and sponsors about what the videogame industry is,” he said during the podcast.

Mr Chircop remarked that he has some friends who wanted to open a bank account because they were planning to open an indie games studio. However, because they were using the term gaming, “they were being scrutinise left, right, and centre, simply because others thought it was betting.”

Over the years, he noticed that this was also the case with sponsors, as when GMR was organising events such as Playcon or the ePremier League, people were immediately “very cautious” because of the misconception that it was tied to the iGaming – or betting – industry, especially following Malta’s grey listing.

The main difference between the terms gaming and iGaming is that while the former includes recreational single and multiplayer games, the latter involves gambling. Gaming covers games played on consoles and computers, and while it may include in-game purchases and wagers, it is distinctly different from iGaming.

The online betting industry, or iGaming as it is commonly referred to locally, utilises cues from the gaming industry in order to recreate gameplay elements, but it still includes games of chance or betting. These include online sports betting and online casinos.

Mr Chircop said that in his opinion, “it is not fair” to simply use a term other than betting so that the industry “doesn’t look bad.” He remarked that it is “frustrating” that many say they work in iGaming, to avoid the connotations tied to gambling and betting.

He said that local gaming companies also need to careful when conducting marketing or promotional campaigns, as the audience often ends up being “confused.”

“Let’s say we are promoting Playcon, and a news portal we have a collaboration with announces that Playcon is happening. You have to be very careful when using terms like for example ‘Malta’s biggest gaming event is happening,’ because people will immediately think it’s betting, just because up till now, that’s what it has referred to,” Mr Chircop explained.

He said that while Playcon is fortunate enough to have built a brand for itself and so many already understand what it is all about, if another company decides to come in and use the term gaming, “it’s going to be difficult to explain.”