Press Release: Positive outcome for Black Friday 2024
29 November 2024
Feedback reported to the Malta Chamber of SMEs on Black Friday results indicates mixed outcomes....
LRU calls on the Lotto & Gaming Authority
14 December 2013
The Lotto
Receivers Union (LRU), represented by GRTU within a specific lotto receivers
section, has this week written to the Chairman and CEO of the Lotteries and
Gaming Authorities (LGA) regarding the issue of retail outlets of various
natures selling games of the like of Scratchers, Keno, Bingo, and National
Lottery tickets.
The LRU pointed out that to them this constitutes unfair
competition and appears to be illegal, quoting Article 8 (1) of the Lotteries
and Other Games Act: "….any person who offers for sale or sells any game to a
person under the age of eighteen years of age shall be guilty of an offence."
To the
knowledge of the LRU there is no enforcement in place to address issues that
arise from other outlets as there is in their regards. In addition to this
whilst the LGA is allowing the current National Lottery Licence holder to offer
these games in any outlet, allowing freer access to all, the agency agreement
of the lotto receivers precludes them from offering games and services other
than those of the National Lottery Licence holder, in itself a very restrictive
and questionable condition.
The LRU
has asked on what criteria are outlets being allowed to sell games that are
part of the licensee's monopoly and the LRU was always given the impression
that these could be sold only through the lotto receivers/agents points of
sale. The LRU feels that this could also constitute a manoeuvre around the Call
for Tenders which established a maximum number of 240 outlets for gaming.
It
should be pointed out that lotto receiving outlets are only allowed to
sell Lotto and Super5 which limits them
heavily, even more so since the other outlets are also being allowed to cash
all games including lotto and super5.
The LRU
have called on the LGA to take immediate steps to ensure the law is enforced in
a horizontal manner and that a level playing field is maintained in a market
which has already become too difficult and onerous to work in.
