On 19 July, Maltco Lotteries Ltd celebrated its first anniversary in Malta on a highly successful note, registering a rise of almost 50 per cent in sales for the first six months this year compared to the same period last year.
Sales in the first half this year amounted to over Lm14 million, with the sharp rise attributed mainly to sport betting, which has mopped up a lot of illegal betting activities.
Dr J. Katakis, Maltco Lotteries chief executive officer, told guests of the Board of Directors at a celebratory reception held at Palazzo Parisio that after upgrading Lotto, Super 5 and Scratchers Instant Tickets – all taken over from the Lotto Department in July last year – Maltco launched U*BET sports betting, which includes both football and Formula 1, and Quick KENO.
Guests at the reception, included the Prime Minister and Mrs Lawrence Gonzi, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Finance Ministry and Mrs Fenech, the Greek Ambassador to Malta, Ms Dora Tsibouleli Douvas, and the Greek Consul Mairangas Pantelis.
Maltco, a subsidiary of Intralot SA, one of the largest suppliers of lottery systems in the world, employs over 60 full time staff and has a network of over 200 points of sales in Malta and Gozo, apart from another 200 locations for selling instant tickets. Intralot has a 73 per cent shareholding in Maltco, with the remaining 27 per cent held by Maltese investors.
Constantinos Antonopoulos, Intralot SA Chief Executive Officer, pointed out that lottery privatisation in Malta, involving so far an investment of Lm13 million, has made the Maltese lottery one of the most modern in the world and one of the pioneers of the lottery sector in Europe, which is now being imitated by other countries, such as Turkey and Mauritius.
Intralot has 31 subsidiaries and seven business offices, employing 1,500 staff in 28 countries. Revenue this year will be around €500 million, making Intralot the third biggest worldwide. It ranks second on profits among lottery suppliers worldwide.
Mr Antonopoulos saw a friendly environment in Malta for investors seeking business in the European Union.
The Prime Minister perceives the privatisation of lottery games in Malta as the right direction for the country. He said Malta now has one of the most advanced lottery systems in Europe without the government having had to invest in its infrastructure.
Dr Gonzi praised the company’s administrative aspect, which has facilitated matters for the agents who today benefit from the better support available to them through a dedicated Help Line and on-site maintenance service.
The highlight of the social occasion came when Mr Antonopoulos and Dr Gonzi cut a cake with the Maltco Lotteries' logo.