[WATCH] Betsson told workers election rumour that it would leave Malta was untrue

Betsson committed to Malta, after election rumour gaming giant would leave

Not a day after being elected for a second term in a snap poll that saw Labour take an unprecedented 55% of the popular vote, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has visited the Betsson offices in Ta' Xbiex for a meeting with the company's CEO and president Ulrik Bengtsson.

The visit was intended to quash rumours, in part advanced during a televised debate by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil, that the gaming giant was planning to leave the island, rumours which the company was quick to deny.

Betsson Malta CEO Ulrik Bengtsson told reporters this morning that the company had no intention of relocating from Malta. An internal email to workers even suggested that they do not believe everything they read or hear.. at least not before they ask one of their managers.

Accompanied by MGA chairman Joe Cuschieri, Muscat had a private chat with Bengtsson. In a tweet, Muscat said the CEO had publicly confirmed Betsson's commitment to Malta

Muscat announced that two leading names in the gaming industry have applied for a licence to operate in Malta. The Prime Minister said he could not reveal the names of the companies however, due to a non-disclosure agreement. The two companies would be in addition to Skybet, which applied for a gaming licence in Malta last week.

Taking questions from reporters after the meeting, the PM also said he would be "making an announcement very soon" about who his chief of staff will be.

The 2017 election took place amid allegations levied against chief of staff Keith Schembri, who was implicated in the Panama Papers, and was the subject of various FIAU investigations requesting the police to look into accusations of money laundering through the use of offshore companies.