The online gambling jurisdiction of Malta has released a statement rebutting claims that the industry on the Mediterranean island is unregulated and unscrupulous.

According to the Malta Remote Gaming Council (MRGC), online gambling is frequently portrayed in an alarmist and negative manner at odds with the facts with complex issues treated superficially without sufficient research into the industry on the island, its regulation or its participants.

The MRGC stated that the industry has become a useful contributor to the Maltese economy and that its professional regulatory structure and Euro-centric nature has attracted a substantial number of remote gaming operators.

“Every operator in Malta already adheres to a strict code of practice laid out in the Remote Gaming regulations governing such operators and the guidelines issued by the regulator, the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA),” read the statement.

The statement also revealed that the Malta Standards Authority (MSA) along with the participation of the MRGC and ‘other respected entities’ have developed a detailed and comprehensive standards document for the remote gaming industry that will be completed later this year. It added that a pervasive theme in its regulations and standards was one of corporate responsibility when it came to problem gambling and gave some examples addressing specific concerns often raised.

The MRGC said that age verification is already undertaken by all gaming operators on the island, who invest heavily in the use and development of services and processes that identify underage, vulnerable, problem and criminal players both during registration and ongoing through the life of the relationship with the player. It stated advertising ethics and a professional code of conduct are also well defined and deal specifically with avoiding inappropriate enticement of potentially vulnerable or underage visitors.