MALTA HITS BACK

22 February 2008

Tired of the brickbats, island jurisdiction straightens the record


One of the better online gambling jurisidctions, Malta, has repudiated general sensationalist claims that the industry is unregulated and unscrupulous. The Malta Remote Gaming Council issued a statement this week, opining that online gambling is frequently portrayed in an alarmist and negative manner at odds with the facts, treating complex issues superficially and without, it often appears, sufficient research into the online gaming industry in Malta, its regulation and its participants.

The industry has become a useful contributor to the Maltese economy, and its professional regulatory structure and Eurocentric nature has attracted a substantial number of remote gaming operators, the statement adds.

"Every operator in Malta already adheres to a strict code of practice laid out in the Remote Gaming regulations governing such operators and the guidelines issued by the regulator, the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA).

The statement reveals that the Malta Standards Authority (MSA), with the participation of the Malta Remote Gaming Council (MRGC) “and other respected entities” (which is believed to include the eCOGRA player protection and standards organisation) has developed a detailed and comprehensive standards document for the remote gaming industry which will be completed later this year (2008).

It added that a common and pervasive theme in the LGA regulations and MSA standards is one of corporate responsibility in terms of problem gambling and gave some examples that address the specific concerns that are often raised.

Age verification is already undertaken by all gaming operators who invest heavily in the use and development of services and processes that identify underage, vulnerable, problem and criminal players both during registration and ongoing through the life of the relationship with the player. Advertising ethics and a professional code of conduct are well defined and deal specifically with avoiding inappropriate enticement of potentially vulnerable or underage visitors.

Self-exclusion and limit management facilities are in place on all LGA regulated online gambling sites, as is the training of customer support staff to identify problem gamblers and manage the exclusion processes and tools available.

All operators have clear and visible links to online help services as a standard feature on their websites and many operators deal with specialised responsible gaming agencies in Europe to train their staff to identify and guide players to appropriate help services where problems exist.

Many of the Malta licensed operators voluntarily contribute to research and development in problem gambling prevention, detection and treatment.

The council said Malta’s regulatory structure is designed to attract only those online gaming operators that are serious, well managed and responsible persons who undertake to provide safe, fair, secure and controlled operations.

The MRGC is comprised of stakeholders in the online gaming industry in Malta and said that as a focal point for the industry’s participants it would be keen to discuss these matters with any organisation that contributes to the understanding, prevention and treatment of gambling addiction.

A project is currently underway by MRGC to further improve the responsible gaming aspect of online gaming operations and it is negotiating with reputable global organisations for advisory services.

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