Maltco Lotteries Limited, the gaming operator that has replaced the Lotto Department, has invested a total of Lm13 million in its Malta operation, according to Maltco chief executive officer Ioannis Katakis.

A subsidiary of the Greek gaming technology group Intralot, Maltco was granted the exclusive licence for all lottery games in the country, launching its operations earlier this year.

Speaking during a press tour at Maltco premises in Lija yesterday, Dr Katakis said that apart from the lump sum of Lm8 million the company had paid to take over operations, Maltco had invested around Lm3 million to set up the technology infrastructure, including a "zero risk" computer system that made sure the operations would run smoothly.

Maltco nets around 20 per cent of gaming sales, depending on the different games. "The bulk of the sales goes to the government," Dr Katakis said.

Under the present system, Lotto receivers get seven per cent of sales and two per cent when prizes are cashed at their booth. Dr Katakis said Maltco had trained receivers on how the new system works, especially how to use the input devices.

Introducing a state-of-the-art system, Maltco made it possible for information on each Lotto, Super Five and U*Bet ticket bought from any lotto booth on the island to reach the Maltco central systems.

In other words, the company's infrastructure and investment in high quality software makes it possible to interact and process thousands of transactions per minute.

The central office is connected to all outlets via Datastream, explained Maltco information systems director Yannis Lazaros.

"Safety is of paramount importance when we are dealing with the government's money," Mr Lazaros said.

The cutting edge IT system is endowed with adequate backup systems that make sure that if one system fails, operations can run smoothly on backups. But the system also depended on Maltese staff who ensured smooth operations and offered support service to receivers and customers.

Distinguishing between gaming and gambling, Mr Katakis said the issue was related to the fact that gaming was regularised and the law prevented people from "overdoing it".

"We feel we offer a service," he said. When explaining the company's marketing strategies earlier, sales and marketing director Nadya Borg Busuttil said an emphasis was made on the fact that Lotto receivers do not sell games to people under 16.

Besides being the only non-US company with a licence to operate in America, Intralot owns subsidiaries in the Philippines, Balkan countries, Holland, Germany, Turkey, Peru and others.

It holds a 73 per cent shareholding in Maltco Lotteries Ltd, while Maltese entrepreneurs hold the remainder (Players Group, 24 per cent, and ASL, three per cent).

The company employs 60 people most of whom are Maltese.

The Lotto and Super Five are the two most popular games in Malta, though the newly introduced U*Bet is also gaining ground because football is so popular.

Lotto was introduced to Malta in 1922. It is the oldest game here and never stopped being played, not even during the war years. The words used in Lotto till today, such as prima, ambo, terno and quaterno, are clearly of Italian origin, and remniscent of the time when the Maltese played Italian Lotto prior to the 1922 Public Lotto Act.

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