The Maltese gaming machine market was thrown into chaos yesterday when the Maltese police took action to seize thousands of gaming machines on the island.
Action by a group of operators secured a court order that the 4,000-plus gaming machines should be left on site pending the outcome of resulting legal action. Meanwhile, the machines are switched off.
The industry was taken unawares by the government action, having abided by the guidelines set by Malta’s Lotteries and Gaming Authority in 2007. It had been widely expected that a series of proposals negotiated with the authority two years ago would be enacted by the government.
One operator told InterGame: "The sudden action yesterday took us all by surprise. It was the action of a South American dictator. Many of us (operators) feel that too many outsiders are getting into the market and upsetting the business, but there was no consultation - effectively the authorities have ‘thrown the baby out with the bathwater’."
There are 30-40 professional operators in Malta, many of whom feel that the authorities have been influenced by Malta’s casinos, who regard the street market as competition.
