The demise of the crooked money suckers such as Pokerstars will come to an end with a regulated internet gaming law comes into effect Unfortunately not before they have sucked millions out of dollars out of poker players that have no alternative.

France Introduces Bill to Regulate Online Gaming The French Ministry of Budget, Public Accounts and Civil Service yesterday presented its published draft regulations on internet gaming to the Cabinet of Ministers for review. This is the next step in the process towards overseeing an industry that generates billions in revenue per year worldwide. Upon approval by Parliament, the laws would take effect on January 1st, 2010. In an effort to curtail lost revenue from illegal gambling operations France Budget Minister Eric Woerth said the gaming market in France would be expanded to adapt "to Internet reality" and help France "get out of an unsustainable situation in which the state is losing a growing part of the betting market." Woerth has estimated that illegal gambling generates €7 billion per annum and that there exists 25,000 illicit sites in France, representing 75 percent of the market. See the draft regulations here [link]/

Dear all, In the context of the new French legislation, I've been looking at the ARJEL website but still have many questions and not getting any feedback from them. There are two things I'm really interested in: - What's the process to follow if the company is not established in France, but in other EU member state? - What's the tax rate on revenues from a company point of view? I hope someone can shed me some lights on these matters. Thank you very much

Some friends were telling me about arbitration in sports betting. They say that they can make a good living doing this however it is a difficult technique to perfect. Is it legal and what do you think about it?

Hi, how is USA facing the future regarding a regulation in the igamming business? Best regards

Getting The House In Order The Lotteries and Gaming Authority took a necessary step recently towards dispelling lingering uncertainty vis-à-vis the future capability of Malta as a leading, dependable jurisdiction in the online gaming market. Through the selection of Mr. Reuben Portanier as permanent Chief Executive Officer to take the reins from Michael Gonzi, who had been presiding admirably (albeit temporarily) over the Authority since the sudden resignation of the previous CEO, the government has made a strong statement about the seriousness of its prowess to maintain the mantle of leadership it has donned since the industry’s infancy – and to them I offer an enormous Prosit! While it would be easy to offer criticism towards the lethargy with which this situation was handled, it would be petty to do so. The powers that be need not be reminded of the challenge that confronted them in this instance, and surely will do well to heed past issues overcome to not repeat the same mistake twice. The reality now is that one of Malta’s most lucrative industries can move forward in its evolution; constantly adapt and innovate to remain atop the global regime. Solutions are, more often than not, attained through step processes and this was a major one, perhaps even a leap. Although many hurdles remain to be met, this one attained task clearly defines the leadership structure’s peak, not to mention convey an image of stability from an outsider’s perspective, which may be equally critical. Continue reading about procedures and requirements for Malta remote gaming

A new anti-money laundering bill soon to be published will have revised gambling regulations included in them to address an ongoing problem within the country. Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern will take steps to legislate casino type games that exist in private clubs despite disagreement between the Labour Party and the Government previously on how to do so. Mr. Ahern intends to draw a two-step plan in order to liberalise the current gambling law and establish a licensing process. The first step is to establish a casino gaming control section to register and control the operation of casinos on a temporary basis. This section will then map out regulatory activities to be published as legislative code and to enforce the laws upon the casino game operators. Read more [link]

France will open its gaming market to competition and begin to grant remote operating licenses in 2010 as it seeks to cease illegal gambling and safeguard the billions of Euros in tax revenue generated by the industry per annum, the country's Finance Minister said late last week. Eric Woerth, the French Minister for Finance said the gaming market in France would be expanded to adapt "to Internet reality" and help France "get out of an unsustainable situation in which the state is losing a growing part of the betting market." The decision comes in response to a 2007 EU demand, which included the threat of a lawsuit, of an end to state gaming monopolies to comply with EU competition laws. France takes in about €5 billion per year from the gambling industry, which includes Internet gambling, casinos, horse racing and lotteries. Read more [link]

The fourth largest, and one of the most reliable online gaming operators worldwide, Everest Poker, announced today that they have obtained a remote gaming license in Malta. With 12 years of online gaming experience, Everest Poker and Casino was the first company to offer localized multilingual online casino and poker experiences to Europeans. The casino platforms have been available since 1997, and its leading European poker room at Everest Poker has been available in 11 different languages since 2004. Everest has had a remarkable growth during the last couple of years, and is now the fourth largest independent poker room worldwide with a peak of 40,000 concurrent cash game players and tournament players. The LGA-license is class 1 and 3, and gives Everest... Read more at [link]

There are currently significant issues surrounding the igaming industry, not just in Malta, but globally. With the European Commission debating whether and how to regulate remote gaming within the whole of the EU and a certain member the United States government (See: Barney Frank) rebelling against the UIGEA, it is hardly an opportune time for uncertainty. According to the report for the fiscal year ending December 31 st , 2007 from the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) the revenue generated from gaming was just under €35 million. Considering that this is an increase of €2.8 million from 2006, the prospect of a significant increase in last year’s numbers, which typically are finalised sometime in June the following year, wouldn’t be unreasonable. As one of the pioneers of legislating remote gaming operations, Malta has been on the cutting edge of the industry for many years now. With its solid foundation as a reputable, safe locale for legitimate operators interested in customer safety and responsible gaming, the island has been a welcoming destination and, in turn, welcomed some of the biggest and best in gaming. However, it all might be hanging by a thread. Since the resignation of the LGA’s previous CEO from the post in October, Michael Gonzi has been presiding as temporary CEO until a permanent replacement is selected. To his credit, people within the industry have lauded him as an adept leader with the ability to get things done. He has issued licenses and numerous letters of intent to applicants keeping the business of remote gaming here moving. However, this can’t be an enviable position for him to be in. The interview phase, which was broadly advertised in the local media, was set to commence during the week of the International Casino Exhibition in London on the 27 th of January and as of yet hasn’t been resolved. Enquiries made to the LGA regarding the status of interviews, candidates, etc. were requited with a modicum of information from the communications department stating “We have absolutely no idea on which stage is the selection process.” Nor was an answer to the question of “Who would know the answers to such questions?” available. Such communicative methodology toes a very dangerous line with regard to what gaming operators have been saying in unison – a need for legislative clarity and clear communication is necessary for the machine to run smoothly. With so much at stake, i.e. tax revenue, jobs and foreign investment, this doesn’t seem like an overly demanding request. With the global recession, there is zero margin for error when it comes to producing and managing a country’s wealth, especially when most experts suggest that the end is not yet in sight. It’s an extraordinarily difficult task for any country, as is clear by reading any medium of international press, but more so for a small state greatly reliant on finance, ICT and emerging markets revenue. Adding further concern in the jurisdiction is the current fervor over gambling “arcades” and the subsequent judicial protest that has been lodged by owners of the Casino Di Venezia, Dragonara, Oracle and the Portomaso Casinos against the Minister of Finance and LGA Chairman. The casinos claim that these arcades are unregulated, pay no tax and have no enforceable age limitations. Although schedule five of the Lotteries and Other Games Act is in direct reference to Video Lottery Terminals (VLT) and their regulation, the issue is cloudy, at best. Tonio Fenech was quoted in the Times on February 1 st that “If their places fall foul of the regulations…we will close them” and “we will issue regulations” regarding gaming arcades; what, then, does schedule five exactly address? Have regulations been in place and not been enforced? Are there different types of machines in use? The mounting confusion and diffidence of key members in public office has to be quite alarming to not only those surveying the landscape of the jurisdiction, but even those who have already vested themselves in this market. Time is of the essence to implement a rational, well thought-out solution to the key issues of an evolving worldwide marketplace. A deliberate effort is necessary to restore and enhance the international community’s view of the Maltese jurisdiction before it slips beyond our grasp entirely. Innovative measures and forward thinking have been the lynchpins to the emergence of Malta as a leader in the industry, and will also be paramount in its resurgence. The first step, clearly, is to select permanent leadership to be at the helm of the LGA. Politics and personal feelings should be nil in this decision and LGA, although a public regulatory body, should be conducted in the manner of a private enterprise: efficiently. While government oversight is critical, it is no secret that bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy. Simply put, the Authority needs to exist free of hindrances from governmental red tape, while maintaining its integrity. The selection of a strong willed, high character CEO, who is unafraid to voice opinion and put business first, will expand the current scope of the business of remote gaming locally while streamlining its processes. Also, the need for technological investment is crucial to not just gaming, but myriad sectors as well. This infrastructure is especially necessary for igaming with 50% of international bandwidth being allocated for it, and has been a negative checkmark for Malta when compared to competing jurisdictions. Amid such economic uncertainty, the time to invest in such ventures by the government would show remarkable foresight and perhaps lay the foundation for many years to come. It will be a classic example of identifying your weaknesses and making them your strengths. The addition of a more user-friendly, informative website by the LGA is also a small, but cost-effective means of satisfying your customer base and attracting new business. Lastly, create a series of recurring open forums for gaming operators and vested parties to discuss the best way to further the industry. Good salespeople know that success comes from active listening and addressing the issues your clients have. In a competitive market such as this it is impossible to thrive by ignoring your clients and, to be clear, there is serious competition. The Ministry of Finance and LGA need to hear precisely what the concerns of its clients are in order to shore up any perceived or actual shortcomings that their customers have identified. This will, at least, restore good faith and public confidence that the government recognises a key industry and is taking the necessary steps to ensure it benefits the people of the country. The question is, is anybody listening? By Thomas Flash - Email Removed"> Email Removed www.igamingprofilermalta.com ...

Malta has been a very successful jurisdiction over the past years, but i've bee hearing many mixed feelings from many igaming professionals about the new director for the LGA, and i quote they say he is losing ground and has no direction. is it true that Igaming companies can just pack and leave in a very short time cheers CYB

Can't there be a world governing body or a head figure that can regulate the industry fairly?

Do igaming companies have sufficient protection from fraudsters trying to commit crime? What measures do they take to protect themselves from this?

Is it only for tax reasons that igaming companies license themsleves in that jusrisdiction?