48 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2024 PULSE The proposal would allow courier services to operate more efficiently, reduce administrative burdens while better reflecting the current technological and economic landscape. The Illinois Lottery sends congratulations to Director Harold Mays on his nomination as a 2025 Chicago Defender Man of Excellence. Iowa Lottery - It's A Throwback For Our 40th Anniversary Forty years after we did it the first time, the Iowa Lottery is inviting you again to Scratch, Match & Win! The lottery is turning 40 this year. And to celebrate the moment, a throwback version of our very first game has just arrived in stores. JOB: DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MARYLAND LOTTERY AND GAMING CONTROL AGENCY JOB: North Carolina Education Lottery - Director of Licensing and Compliance- Raleigh IGT and Atlantic Lottery Sign EightYear Video Lottery Central System Technology Agreement Aristocrat Interactive and Inspired Entertainment Introduce First-Ever Virtual Sports iLottery Games with the Virginia Lottery Through an Agreement with NeoPollard Interactive Splashdot Loyalty Solutions has been selected by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) to implement the organization’s first national unified Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. WORLD NEWS South African Court Forces Minister to Name New Lottery Operator by May 28 Statistics on gambling participation – Year 2 (2024), wave 4: Official statistics Findings from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain: Statistics on gambling participation. Malta hit with infringement proceedings as ECJ issues Opinion The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against Malta for allegedly breaching an EU regulation when it amended the Gaming Act to prevent the enforcement in Malta of foreign court rulings against Maltese gaming companies. Malta was given time to address the Commission’s concerns before the case can proceed further. If Malta fails to adequately respond, the Commission may decide to bring the case before the European Court of Justice. In the formal letter sent to the Maltese government, the EC said that Malta has failed to comply with EU regulation by imposing its courts an obligation to refuse recognition and enforcement of judgments issued by courts. The EC added that Malta is discouraging foreign litigants from pursuing legal action in Maltese courts against Maltese gaming companies. “The Commission considers that the Maltese legislation, by effectively shielding the online gaming sector from cross-border litigation, undermines the principle of mutual trust in the administration of justice within the Union,” the EC said. The Maltese government has insisted that the law does not establish new or separate grounds for refusing the enforcement of judgments beyond those set in EU regulation. It said it will provide a formal response to the Letter of Formal Notice within the stipulated two-month timeframe. The Malta Gaming Authority also defended the law, arguing that it is in line with EU regulations and the principles set out by the European Court of Justice. It does not impose a blanket ban on enforcing European judgments against Maltese-licensed gaming companies, nor does it shield them from legal action in other EU courts. In 2023, an Austrian law firm and a German lawyer filed a complaint with the Commission, accusing the Maltese government of undermining the rule of law in Europe. Nationalist MEP Peter Agius expressed concerns about the Commission's infringement action, saying in a post on X that Malta needed to align with EU law as soon as possible. Prime Minister Robert Abela had defended the law when he met Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Earlier this year, two landmark rulings by the Maltese courts declared that Austrian courts cannot compel Malta-based gaming operators to compensate Austrian gamblers for their losses, even when Austrian courts had ordered the refunds. Agius also asked the EC to address the “jungle” of third-party litigation funding (TPLF) that is funding legal action over gambling losses, with the aim of enforcing foreign judgments in Malta. TPLF is when outside investors cover the legal costs of a case in exchange for a share of any winnings. The MGA had previously accused German and Austrian law firms of “very aggressive advertising” to encourage customers of Maltese gaming companies who may have lost money to seek legal aid. Scientific Games Granted License from UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority Scientific Games is licensed by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority as a Gaming-Related Vendor for the supply of lottery products and services in the United Arab Emirates. The GCGRA is the federal executive agency responsible for regulating and overseeing all commercial gaming in the United Arab Emirates to ensure fairness and transparency. Bulgaria proposes new restrictions for online gambling Swedish goverment plans to expand gambling credit ban Dutch gambling regulator outlines new “Regulator 2.0” approach The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has pledged to adopt a new Regulator 2.0’ approach to its duties. Speaking at the Gaming in Holland conference in Amsterdam, Renske Fikkers, the head of
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