Temptation Island

In the mid-1990s, games of chance spread to the Internet as a result of technical developments enabling firms to offer virtual services to an international clientele. Although these firms, concentrated in certain territories, sought advantageous regulatory and fiscal conditions, this article looks deeper for other reasons. Taking the example of Malta, it examines in detail the motives of these multiple entrepreneurs of online gambling who have chosen the island since 2004. The emergence of a cyber district is linked to the government’s proactive policy and to the positive externalities generated by the concentration of operators. However, the island’s characteristics and the operators’ desire to conquer other markets from this outpost are challenging the stability of this district. The article thus highlights the importance of analysing territories in the construction of cyber-districts, as well as examining legal differentials which are the rule in online economic activities.