The International Esports Federation (IESF) has welcomed member associations from six more countries. 

Organisations from D.R. Congo (Congolese Federation of Electronic Sports), Kuwait (Kuwait Esports Club), Malta (GamingMalta), Morocco (Moroccan Esports Association), Pakistan (Pakistan Electronic Sports Federation), and Turkmenistan (Turkmenistan National Electronic Sports Federation) have now brought the IESF’s total membership to 88. 

Perhaps the most significant of the four new members is from the smallest country, Malta. GamingMalta was established as a non-profit organization by the Maltese government and Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

Despite the country’s miniscule size, Malta is a global hub for the online casino and sports betting industry, and is home to dozens of major gambling companies. The tech infrastructure, skills pool, and regulatory infrastructure already in place for this has made it very attractive to esports and video gaming businesses.

IESF is a global organisation based in South Korea whose mission it is to have electronic sports recognized as a legitimate sport. Since being founded in 2008 with just nine members from Europe and Asia, the federation has grown to cover the world.