This legal revision has garnered attention due to its potential conflict with European regulations and was crafted in response to a surge in legal actions from foreign jurisdictions.
Specifically, civil courts in Germany and Austria ruled in favour of compensating players for past losses allegedly incurred through illicit online gambling activities carried out by MGA-licensed operators.
The GGL today (23 August) said it has been inundated with enquiries regarding the assessment of Malta’s Bill No. 55, prompting the regulator to issue an official public statement.
The GGL asserts that the provisions within the law might not align with European requirements for acknowledging and enforcing foreign judgments.
EC to take action
However, the GGL clarified that the ultimate decision on this matter is not within its jurisdiction.
The regulator has conveyed its evaluation to the German federal states and is maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the relevant authorities.
The GGL stated: “We currently do not see any reason to take action beyond this, as the Federal Ministry of Justice has already approached the European Commission on this matter. We therefore assume that proceedings will be initiated accordingly.”
The extent to which a gambling provider’s reliance on the amendment in civil law cases can also lead to gambling-related reliability needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to the GGL.
First blocked enforcement
Meanwhile, in late July, a Maltese court declined to enforce the first foreign ruling.
In the case involving an Austrian player versus TSG Interactive Gaming Europe Ltd (PokerStars), the Maltese court blocked the execution of a garnishee order obtained in an Austrian court.
An article published on Verfassungsblog, an academic platform focusing on constitutional law in Germany and Europe, described the judgment as a “never-before-seen blow to the primacy of EU law.“
Discussions about the Macolin Convention
In a parallel development, The Shift News has recently revealed that Malta is actively seeking legal advice regarding the potential ramifications of finally embracing an agreement that it had deliberately avoided since 2014.
This particular agreement pertains to the adoption of a revised definition of illegal sports betting.
Should this agreement, known as the Macolin Convention, be officially ratified, it would classify sports betting websites operating from Malta as being in contravention of the new definition, particularly if they cater to jurisdictions where such betting remains prohibited.
According to the article, in 2021, international advisers had suggested endorsing the convention as a goodwill gesture to prevent Malta from being included in the FATF gray list.
