Edward Zammit Lewis Parliamentary Secretary for Competiveness and Economic Growth announced that instructions were issued last Friday by the provisional administrator for the payment of the sum of €130,000 to 62 employees of Vittoriosa Gaming Limited.

These are due as part of a settlement of arrears in wages. In fact after this lump sum, some 25 employees will have been paid in full. The estimate shows that around 40% of the total dues to the employees are covered by this payment.

The money is expected to be credited to the respective bank accounts of the individual employees by today.  

The employees’ wages were outstanding after the casino failed to comply with its stipulated conditions due to losses it has been making since the end of 2011.  Due to these financial problems, the Lotteries and Gaming Authority suspended the licence held by Vittoriosa Gaming Ltd and trading as ‘Casino Di Venezia’ last April, due to non-adherence of its conditions.    

This is a problem that has been inherited and has been coming for years the Parliamentary Secretary Hon. Edward Zammit Lewis said.  The Government is committed to settle all employees’ overdue payments in the interest of the workers and is in continuous negotiation talks to enhance the casino industry.