The Malta Gaming Authority announced through a representative that Malta's current gambling legislation is being reviewed and will be updated in the coming months. Parliamentary Secretary Jose Herrera announced that he plans to introduce the new gambling law to parliament by this autumn.

Online specialised portal PokerNews which had featured rather heavy criticism of the Malta regulation by international expert and founder of Gaming Legal Group, Bas Jongmans, (reported by this paper last week) entitled its report on Malta's reaction by saying there will be a 'revolution' as a result of the upgrade in Maltese legislation.

Speaking to newsagency Agimeg, a representative of the MGA said it has been working on this update in the Maltese law since 2013 and will be presenting a number of proposals to the Maltese Parliament in order to innovate and extend the power of the Maltese gambling authority.

As explained by the representative, the new legislative framework and model will give the Maltese authority more control over the gambling industry's market and enable it to strengthen player protection, with regards to online gambling in particular.

The representative denied there was any link between this legislative upgrade and Operation Gambling which has led to the arrest of 41 persons and the closure of some betting companies including Betsolutions4U Limited and Uniq Group Limited.

"All the information we have led us to believe this was an isolated event," the representative said.

Malta's judicial system for the gaming sector is known to be quite strict and very well-structured while allowing for the industry to thrive through its operations from the island.

Malta was the first country to start regulating online gambling through adopting the Lotteries and Other Games Act. This enabled Malta to move forward and be at the forefront of the industry.

According to the representative, the legislative structure now in place was drawn up when the industry was 'largely not regulated' and it was the Maltese legislative framework that attracted so many operators to Malta since Malta became an example to follow.

It is widely known that over the past decade, the gaming industry in Malta grew so much that it has become an economic stronghold for the island, as it continues to attract operators to its shores and generate employment and economic growth through its operations.

In view of this rapid growth, it is important that the law is regularly updated so as to keep track and stay abreast of the latest developments within such a fast-moving industry in order to maintain its stability and smooth operation.

While Jongmans said the Italian authorities had revealed only 'the tip of the iceberg', Parliamentary Secretary Herrera downplayed the possibility that other companies could be involved.