The new licence for the lottery will be in effect for 10 years. National Lottery PLC, a subsidiary of IZI Group, has been selected to replace Maltco Lotteries Limited as the operator of the lottery. In July 2021, the Privatisation Unit of the Maltese government issued a Request for Proposals for interested parties to take over the lottery operations. National Lottery PLC was granted exclusive rights and a Concession agreement was signed in March of this year, paving the way for the licence to be issued. This marks the first time in 18 years that a fully-owned Maltese company will operate the lottery.
The Malta Gaming Authority’s CEO, Carl Brincat, expressed confidence in the concessionaire’s dedication to maintaining operational and compliance standards and safeguarding players from gaming-related harm. Silvio Schembri, Malta’s Minister for the Economy, European Funds, and Lands, highlighted the importance of enhancing popular lottery games like Lotto and Super 5, while also introducing new games to enrich the portfolio. The commitment to actively responsible gaming and player protection is emphasized.
Johann Schembri, CEO of National Lottery PLC, stated that the licensing acquisition from the Malta Gaming Authority reinforces their hard work and commitment to deliver an innovative, forward-looking, fair, and transparent national lottery service. Additionally, National Lottery PLC has recently entered into agreements with EveryMatrix and International Game Technology (IGT) to supply online games and technology to the National Lottery of Malta.