Is Malta licence suspension linked to recent Italian online gambling busts?
News on 9 Apr 2016
News on 9 Apr 2016
Two announcements by the Malta Gaming Authority this week have triggered speculation that there may be links with the Salerno, Italy online gambling busts last week (see previous reports).
The first announcement (see it here: http://www.mga.org.mt/mga-regulatory-notice-on-betmod90-com/) appeared to be a reaction to some shady operator fraudulently claiming Malta licensing, with the regulator proclaiming: “The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is hereby declaring that it has no connection with www.betmod90.com. Any reference to the MGA and/or gaming licence/s said to be issued by the Maltese Authority, as stated on www.betmod90.com is false and misleading.”
The second announcement here (http://www.mga.org.mt/licence-suspended-for-glx-services-limited/) is more serious, reporting the suspension of the online gambling licence issued to Italian-facing GLX Services, better known as Gamelux. No reasons for the suspension were offered, but the content of the announcement suggested that an investigation was in progress.
The announcement noted:
“The Malta Gaming Authority (hereinafter the ‘Authority’) is hereby notifying that GLX Services Limited, remote gaming licence MGA/CL2/432/2007, has been suspended as of 7th April, 2016.
“GLX Services Limited has thus been directed to indefinitely suspend all gaming operations, cease to register new players, suspend all transactions on all websites, including deposits and withdrawals, and submit all data and documentation requested by the Authority.
“Furthermore the Authority hereby notifies that any websites operated by GLX Services Limited, or associated with GLX Services Limited, and which make reference to the Authority or the above-quoted licence are not approved to be operational by the Authority. Due to the suspension of the licence, GLX Services Limited is therefore not authorised to continue conducting gaming by means of distance communications under an Authority licence.”
The notice ends with an invitation to players with outstanding payments due to contact the MGA with details, which might indicate that the investigation is into some form of fraudulent or illegal operator conduct.
