Malta is well-known for its high performance when it comes to the online gambling industry and throughout the years the island country has established itself as the capital of online gambling in Europe. It became recently known, however, that the Malta Gaming Authority which is the casino regulator in the country, is not content with a couple of articles which were published in the month of December. The authority claims that they include factual inaccuracies, speculation, untruths, as well as a misrepresentation of the regulator as a whole and the methods for operation it utilizes on a daily basis.
Just as 2017 was preparing to wind things up and give way to the new 2018, the popular Times of Malta announced two news which caused quite the stir around the gaming authority of the island country. The first one of them closely followed the happenings around the recently discovered plans of the Italian Mafia to infiltrate gaming companies located in Malta. According to the information published by the daily newspaper, the Palermo Mafia clans were well on their way to relocate their underground activities with the help of online gambling companies listed in Malta.
Following an in-depth investigation of the situation, the Police performed several police raids in the city and well-known to the authorities Mafiosi were arrested. A total of 25 people were arrested after the investigation of horse races which are regularly held at the race track called ‘Favorita’. In response to the information issued in the article, MGA stated that such speculations are striving solely to harm the reputation of the regulator and the trusted by many gaming jurisdiction. The authority claimed that such possibility could not exist since the level of security and the numerous regular checks would not let it pass unnoticed.
Groundless Accusations Thrown at MGA
As for the second article of question, it was also a rather popular topic on the web page of Times of Malta. It was related to the recent appointment of the former Managing Director of Allied Newspaper, Adrian Hillman, to a consultancy position at the Malta Gaming Authority which gives him the permission to give advice on strategic public relations and communications. The regulator had some notes regarding the content of the article and they were related to the alleged instructions which MGA received. The regulator claimed that the Office of the Prime Minister had not given any instructions to engage Mr. Hillman and the newspaper is speculating.
It was also claimed that following the investigation of the former Managing Director with the help of a board of inquiry specifically set up for the case, there has not been found any illegal or dishonest behavior on his part. These facts stated in the article were classified as untruths and factual inaccuracies and upon discovering them, the regulator insists on clarifying that it conducts its duty in a lawful manner, thus protecting its reputation. This has not been the first time when MGA has been under fire for alleged failure to live up to the expectations of the community, but so far all accusations have been denied.
