Does ESG still matter? Gaming industry experts weigh in
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments continue to gain ground across the gaming industry. At a recent panel discussion, industry leaders and regulators unpacked the enduring relevance of ESG, calling it both a strategic imperative and a moral responsibility, even when the label itself is under scrutiny.
“We should remember what ESG really is—if we strip away the label,” said Kinga Warda, Chief Officer of Policy and International Affairs at the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) during a recent conference. “In reality, it’s about the way of managing risk. ESG is not going away because the things it tackles are not going away either.”
Warda was one of three panellists discussing the future of ESG in gaming, alongside Liesbeth Oost, Head of ESG at JVH Gaming & Entertainment Group, and Rachel Decelis, Associate Director & ESG Lead at KPMG. While the conversation acknowledged geopolitical challenges the consensus was clear: the work must go on.
A long-term strategy
“I see all these regulatory shifts and political trends not as something that hugely impacts us,” said Oost. “ESG is about value creation in the long term. It’s a way of measuring how we implement sustainability in operations, how far companies look ahead, and how transparent they are with their stakeholders.”
JVH Gaming is still working on its first sustainability report, but as Oost pointed out, the groundwork behind the scenes is extensive. “It is a bit of an iceberg. There’s so much work under the water that you don’t see before you can go out with your communication.”
For Oost, one of the core challenges is tailoring general ESG frameworks to a highly specific, dual-regulated business that includes both land-based and online operations. “We have to specify what ESG really means to us,” she said. “It all starts with finding out what are those topics—and in that process, stakeholders are key.”
Listening first, then acting
Across the board, stakeholder engagement emerged as a central theme. “It gives a lot of listening and talking opportunities to engage with your different stakeholders,” said Oost. “The regulator is key, of course, but also customers, employees, and even silent stakeholders. We have to reach out much more.”
Decelis, who moderated the discussion, agreed. “Even smaller operators see ESG as very relevant. From a moral standpoint, talking about waste and carbon emissions—these are obvious things.”
She added: “It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be good enough. At least you’re getting the first steps off the ground.”
The MGA’s ESG code: a regulatory first
While the EU’s broader ESG reporting obligations face delays—most notably the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) postponement—the MGA has forged ahead. In 2023, it launched what may be the first sector-specific ESG framework for the remote gaming industry.
“We wanted to make sure that it is not another compliance operator, not a tick-box exercise,” said Warda. “We started small, with 14 companies participating, but the engagement stood out. It wasn’t just about submitting data—there were questions, remarks, suggestions. There was a conversation going all the time.”
She added, “As a regulator, we don’t have to call it ESG. We still want to create a sustainable industry—with or without the label.”
Loosing the acronym?
The panel ended with a broader reflection on the political climate. “Last year we were saying, ‘wow, finally ESG is not just a buzzword. We’re seeing some tangible results’,” Warda recalled. “But now, the climate commitments are somehow softer… and all of that is making the work of those of us in sustainability a bit bumpier.”
Still, none of the panellists saw this as a reason to slow down.
“If we wait for the perfect reporting framework to be around, that will never happen,” Oost said.
Decelis summed up the moment succinctly: “The label might be under pressure, but the purpose is not.”
