At the first sitting following the summer recess the Maltese parliament has heard that the government will amend gaming laws to prevent the island being turned into one big casino. Finance Minister Tonio Fenech outlined proposals in the Lotteries and Other Games (Amendment) Bill that will introduce tougher enforcement rules and grant licences for 12 months, only renewable if no court proceedings were pending against the owner.

Stating that he continued to be against gaming, Tonio Fenech added that it was better to regulate the industry than to ban it. The Bill aims to protect minors and vulnerable adults against compulsive gambling and the Finance Minister believes that regulation is not liberalisation. Each gaming outlet will be monitored and a set of standards will help prevent criminal activity and money laundering, imposing heavy fines for any infractions. The gaming authority will be granted more powers to oversee gaming and enforce regulations.

Only three types of gaming or amusement machines will be allowed, licensed for use in places where only gaming was permitted. No other activity could take place in these outlets – not even the offer of food or drink, and operators would have to observe a code of conduct. Proceeds from gaming activities will be treated differently from those of casinos. Manufacturers of amusement machines, suppliers to the market and the places hosting amusement machines will require licences, but will not be subject to the restrictions placed on gaming machines. Simulators, skill games and video games would not be restricted in the same manner as gaming machines.

A €2 stake limit will be placed on gaming machines and a €1coin only for playing games such as billiards. Amusement operators will be unable to offer rewards, even soft toys or sweets, in order to prevent a culture of gaming for profit. Current licences will be respected although access to gaming machines will be limited to those 18 or over. Casino entry is already limited to people aged 25 or over. As soon as the Maltco lottery licence expires the age limit for purchasing tickets will be raised to 18.

The definition of a gaming machine is to be wide-ranging in order to put the onus on the authority to determine whether a machine presented to it was a gaming machine or an amusement machine. Operators may obtain four different licences. Machines will be sealed by the authority and those who manufacture, repair and serviced machines will be licensed, as will suppliers and distributors of gaming machines and operators of gaming places. Employees will be licensed and receive training in responsibilities and ethics.

The extensive list of proposals to regulate gaming in Malta includes a limit on opening hours to between 11 am and 11pm, even in tourist areas, minimum payout on machines to be 85%, CCTV monitoring to be stored for 60 days, a maximum of 10 gaming machines per premises, and the requirement to report over €2,000 played at a gaming venue to help prevent money laundering. In general, the Bill would regulate the place of gaming (away from schools, education facilities and sports grounds where children are taught), the gaming machines themselves, the people who could enter such places and regulations to safeguard players. (E-09.29.09)

© Copyright 2009 CasinoCompendium



>>> return to archives
>>> return to frontpage