Is Malta as remote gaming legislator passé?

I have been spending the last few weeks outside of Malta to rediscover that actually Malta isn’t the centre of the universe, that there are countries with beautiful nature and animal life, with humble people…

I don’t know If you have been following the news lately on the remote gaming issues happening in Malta. I must admit that these news are worrying. I have been involved in this remote gaming business in Malta since its beginning in 2001, having obtained once of the first betting licenses for a German bookmaker. I am reading all these news with sadness as I personally know some of the arrested people. I am also thinking of all their employees who have now lost their jobs, never ever imagining that they were hard working for companies owned by the wrong people. They all have trusted the competent authorities that their employment was legit and sound. My thoughts are with these employees and their families.

These news don’t really come as a surprise knowing from nside how actually the gaming authority and legislators were functioning. It started on a very bad foot when the LGA was setup and run by Mario Galea. He has been removed a few years later as his conflict of interests became to “visible”, just to be replaced by a Gonzi acolyte Reuben Portanier, who knew as much about gaming as I know about the sexual life of snails. After the Labour election success, he has been replaced by a nice accountant of the same profile. This is not the first time that the gaming authority is in the news,  they have screwed up many things in the past and only reacted to events outside their control or initiative (I am referring to the suspension of the Everleaf poker license).

That finally made me come to my major concern on Malta. I know that greed is one of the seven sins, but to me,  it became a major motor in Malta. All actions, initiatives are driven by greed, by the concern to generate more wealth for the few ones. We have been largely spoiled by the previous administration having allowed shady and unpunished operations such as the oil scandal, the smart meter scandal or Mater Dei. The Labour only have topped them in their perversion with the sale of passports, the businesses with companies and countries having very dubious notions on Human Rights or business ethics.

I honestly think that we should stop writing about cycle lanes but we should be concerned about the deep issues our society has and on which it has to come clean: corruption, despotism, clienteleism and conflict of interest.