Malta to probe Italian operators

The government of Malta is to set a national crackdown on illegal iGaming platforms.

Malta.- Following anti-Mafia actions taken by the government of Italy, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has decided to crack down on online gaming platforms allegedly operated by illegal Italian groups. The government of Malta announced the decision at the weekend, as authorities pledged to support the Italian’s anti-Mafia operations.

According to Calvin Ayre’s report, the Malta Gaming Authority executive chairman Joseph Cuschieri revealed that the governmental department would “start a collaboration” with Italy’s Anti-Mafia Commission and any other authority that “needs to know the activity of Italian gaming operators in Malta.”

The MGA’s official statement reveals: “The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is set to launch an investigation into all of its Italian online licensees as it attempts to root out connections between the island and illegal betting shops in Italy.”

“The project is the first stage in a concerted crackdown on Italian gambling businesses based in Malta,” high-ranking Maltese sources told Gambling Compliance.

The statement ends with: “Malta has grown increasingly concerned about damage to its already faltering reputation, after numerous links between Italian organised crime and online gambling companies with Maltese licences emerged during the past few years.”