Identity theft is a silent crime, while remote gaming is its silent power

Abstract

This research explored whether the Maltese remote gaming industry constitutes an ideal targeting platform for identity theft. Silence marks the phenomenon of identity theft as it enables perpetrators to discreetly commit such a crime. Silence also pervades the victimisation of individuals or organisations as, oftentimes, victims of identity theft are unaware that they have been victimised, and discover this occurrence long after they have been victimised. In an attempt to examine and explore identity theft in relation to remote gaming, while raising public awareness of such matter, a qualitative approach was adopted, incorporating the use of open-source research. Data was collected through one-to-one semi-structured interviews with a pool of multiple stakeholders in the field, including key professionals with experience in the fields of iGaming, financial services, cyber security, law enforcement, and others. The study concluded that identity thieves do in fact target the remote gaming industry due to the amount of money generated through the sector. However, despite the plethora of identity theft cases, the Maltese remote gaming industry is in the medium risk category as it is generally not directly targeted. The findings point towards the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon through more awareness and ongoing training, both internally (within organisations) and externally (the general public). This study aimed to provide a contribution towards a mutually beneficial improvement in internal training given to the private and public sector on identity theft within remote gaming. The importance of a proactive approach, rather than a reactive one, is key. In order to effectively and efficiently safeguard players, operators, and regulators from such crimes both locally and internationally, apart from an official delineation of the crime of identity theft, legislative reform is necessary to address the existing gaps in cybersecurity legislation. Moreover, a stronger level of cooperation between Maltese and international entities ought to be nurtured and maintained.