In Malta and National Lottery plc was reportedly yesterday granted the ten-year license to operate the small nation’s range of lottery games including the popular Lotto and Super 5 titles following the payment of a €105 million ($107 million) concession fee.

According to a Tuesday report from the Malta Today newspaper, the award from the Malta Gaming Authority regulator was made after previous operator Maltco Lotteries Limited decided not to submit a bid and is to now see the new licensee also run the Grand Lottery, Tiritombola and FastKeno titles as well as sportsbetting, electronic gaming machines and scratchcards.

Weekend opener:

Silvio Schembri serves as the Economy Minister for Malta and he reportedly detailed that the inaugural lottery draw under the fresh tutelage of National Lottery plc is now scheduled to take place on Saturday from 8:35pm local time. The official purportedly also explained that the new operator has pledged to increase payout ratios in a bid to combat a clandestine network of illegal gambling and ‘will continue to add to the popularity of the Lotto and Super 5 as well as introduce other games.’

Schembri reportedly stated…

“Our responsibility goes beyond the mere licensing within our regulatory framework. Together we will ensure that National Lottery plc continues to promote, design and put into practice the principles of responsible gaming while protecting customers. The economic profit from gaming should be given its importance but not at the expense of gamblers.”

Rich recognition:

Malta is home to approximately 516,000 people and Maltco Lotteries Limited had reportedly run its national lottery program since its launch almost 20 years ago. Schembri was appointed to his current post within the government of Prime Minister Robert Abela in March and he purportedly thanked the previous operator while praising the incoming National Lottery plc for its plans to transform the service.

Optimistic outlook:

For his part and the Chief Executive Officer for the Malta Gaming Authority, Carl Brincat, reportedly told the newspaper that he is confident National Lottery plc will now be able to dedicate the necessary resources to run Malta’s national lottery at the highest level while protecting the interest of punters, helping to stamp out illegal operations and promoting responsible gambling.

Read a statement from Brincat…

“The Malta Gaming Authority is confident the concessionaire will dedicate all the resources necessary to maintain the very highest level of operational and compliance standards and will invest in taking care of its players and doing its utmost to avoid gaming-related harm.”