James Debono
The Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) is refusing to reveal how many gaming halls equipped with video lottery terminals (VLTs) have opened in each Maltese locality in the past five years, despite accusations by Labour MP Charles Mangion that these halls are ensnaring children and exposing them to vice.
“We intend taking a number of decisions regarding this sector and any comments at this stage would be premature and would prejudice the Authority’s position,” was all an LGA spokesperson would say.
MaltaToday is informed that after leaving gaming shops to proliferate in the absence of any regulations for the past two years, the government will be enacting a set of regulations in the next few days.
Yet sources have told this newspaper that it will be very difficult for the government to relocate gaming shops which have opened next to schools and catechism centres.
The draft regulations, which have been on the government’s backburner for the past two years, proposed banning gaming outlets within a radius of 100 metres from schools and other places frequented by children.
Video Lottery Terminals are machines that allows gamblers to bet on the outcome of a video game. VLTs are connected to a centralized system that determines the outcome of each wager using a “random number generator”. Although the outcome of each wager is random, VLT operators are able to program in advance the total amount and number of payouts that its central computer system will allow at its connected VLTs.
In this manner, VLTs can be thought of as computerized scratch-off lottery tickets.
Fairplay, one of several companies operating in this sector has a total of 17 outlets in 16 different localities.
The proliferation of gaming halls has prompted Sedqa and the Foundation for Social Welfare to call on the government to stop gaming halls from opening next to places frequented by children.
Speaking to MaltaToday in December 2007 former chief executive officer of the Foundation for Social Welfare Joe Gerada condemned the opening of a gaming hall in Marsa opposite the MUSEUM.
Labour MP Charles Mangion last week confirmed reports that children are being lured in gaming halls.
He asked the Prime Minister what policies MEPA had to regulate the siting of gaming halls in view of the “large number of unregulated gaming halls being opened which are being frequented by children who are being corrupted by the vice of gambling.”
The Prime Minister replied that MEPA’s policies do not encourage the siting of gaming halls in residential areas.
Gaming halls in legal limbo
But gaming halls were not regulated by any legislation in Malta.
“Gaming halls are yet not regulated by law… Keep in mind that today, gaming halls should not exist,” Mario Galea, the former chief executive of the LGA, told MaltaToday in December 2007.
Effectively gaming halls are currently regulated by the same laws on amusement machines, which are not banned from being within the vicinity of schools.
A set of draft regulations state that gaming halls offering video lottery terminals should be at least 100 metres away from schools. The draft regulations even stipulate that gaming halls should be equipped with surveillance devices in order to ensure that no minors or vulnerable players are inside the premises.
But these regulations were never approved by the government, leaving existing gaming outlets in a legal limbo.
It is not yet known what will happen to gaming halls which are currently allowed to operate in the vicinity of places frequented by children like catechism centres.
Another mystery which persists is how permits for these gaming halls are issued. When contacted, the police passed the buck onto the Gaming Authority, but until the new regulations are approved the LGA has no jurisdiction over gaming halls.
MEPA also lacks a policy to regulate the siting of gaming halls. MEPA has issued guidelines on the location of other development like childcare centres and shooting ranges.
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