Casino di Venezia - Malta regulator suspends licence

Malta gambling regulator Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) may be slow to protect online poker players, but it apparently can move quickly when it comes to land casino infringements.

A Times of Malta newspaper report Tuesday revealed that the regulator has suspended the Casino di Venezia licence, putting 67 jobs at risk. The LGA justifies its action by making the general allegation that the casino is non-compliant with its licence conditions.

Announcing the move, parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness, Edward Zammit Lewis said 67 employees were facing job uncertainty after the casino failed to comply with its stipulated conditions due to losses it has been making since the end of 2011.

Zammit Lewis said the government had spent the last two weeks talking to the General Workers’ Union and casino management, but that the casino’s financial problems had led to non-adherence of its licence conditions and the LGA had followed the law by issuing a suspension notice.

The action will impact the online live dealer action streamed from the casino.