Cabinet Might Approve Slot Machines

The Malta Lottery and Gaming Authority Chairman, Joe Zammit Maempel said that he thinks that the new legislation that would bring in video lottery terminals is going to pass the cabinet and will be in place by June. He said that that once the cabinet approves them it won’t take any time at all until they are up and running – and he does expect them to pass.

Malta is quickly seeing gambling becoming a major part of their revenue for their government. Last year alone, the Lottery and Gaming Authority saw Lm4.4 million from casino operations, Lm5 million from lotteries, Lm700,000 from bingo, and Lm4 million from the remote gambling sector. The new legislation would bring in slot machines to entertainment venues and clubs located in Malta and Gozo.

As of now, slot machines are only allowed in casinos, and the authority says that the machines they are bringing in are a different kind of slot machine. Maempel said that they have already submitted regulations to the ministry, and have received back a list of changes that they wanted to see taken care of. He says they have done that, and now they believe that this one will be passed.

He said the government is expecting a certain amount of revenue from the slot machines, and if they don’t pass the regulations this time through they won’t be able to get that. He said that the slot machines need to be running by the middle of this year in order for them to be successful for revenue this year.

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