UPDATE 3: Man shot, injured in hold-up

@ John Pace
I insist - It is not Section 47 of the LG act 2002 that makes the installation of epos machines unfeasible - the percentage changed by banks on DEBIT card transactions (not to mention the phone call required) constitutes anything between 80% and 95% (depending on the game) of the commission earned by the receiver. For the same reason, the acceptance of cheques is also extremely high risk as even the lowest amount of defaulting cheque could render a whole days work loss making. The banks unfortunately do not help in this instance as they continue to allow repeat defaulters cheque book facilities - ah but of course, they charge 23 Euro per bounced cheque!!!!

@ Franco

I bet you wouldn't say no if someone walked up to you and gave you 100,000euros for doing nothing.

@ Eddie Grech

Yep It is....

+ Why should I and countless others be forced to compensate for the increase in ticket prices so that people can pay with "cards", to save Maltco money and hand them more profit instead of them actually giving a damn about the people who make them their money, and delving into their profits themselves to fund any security updates..

Then I'd be more than willing to pay an increase in the cost of a ticket, but *ONLY* if it went on funding for safety measures to protect the lotto receiver and to provide each lotto booth with the adequate security as i previously stated, such as enclosed in glass + panic buttons etc, timed safes etc etc..

If what John Pace stated is correct, then Security measures would be the only answer, I guess it's upto the lotto receivers to voice their views and demand that Maltco offer some form of protection, or things will just keep going round in circles.

I think that the best idea is to have the Maltese people NOT PLAYING AT ALL.
This is an enormous social evil and should be restrained. This idea, of trying your luck to get rich quickly ..... is built on the presumption that the more you play and risk, the more possible the win.

Humbug!

@ D Walker.
I can assure you that it's not the charges that is holding back installation of ePOS machines at Lotto booths by local banks but rather Section 47 of the Lotteries and Other Games Act of September 2002 which specifically prohibits the provision of any form of credit for gaming persons.

This includes the acceptance of credit cards and before this section is revised, Lotto Booth owners will remain at risk due to the amounts of cash they handle!!

I think yesterday's accident was not only a holdup, but in itself a miracle. If the shot went wrong, then Mr. Vella would have died.
Being a friend of his son, I know George as a very humble, trustworthy and very welcoming person. I wish a speedy recovery to him as well as his whole family. It's a trauma thinking about being waken up in the morning with screams shouting that your father has been shot.
May the burglar realises that one day he have to pay back all what he had stolen.

Ramon Casha’s idea is brilliant.

Stewie Griffin (are you sure that’s your real name?), Ramon said “card” not “credit card”. That can be solved easily: no credit cards, only debit cards.

Ok, we can change the wording. Instead of “adding a 10% charge to any lottery tickets bought using cash” we can first put up the price (which has been done several times, e.g. when numbers of Super 5 increased from 36 to 42, when price increased from 50c to 65c, etc.) and then say “giving a 10% discount on lottery tickets paid with cards”. There we go.

It’s amazing how quick people are to shoot down good ideas and pick on the details.

These types of holdups are becoming very popular in Zabbar. If I'm not mistaken this is the third in less than a year.

I suggest that lotto receivers shouldn't carry cash with them home. They are not only putting thier own safety at risk, but also that of thier families and friends. They should be required to have a safe at the lotto premises for safe keeping and deposit the monies at the bank directly without having to walk around with the cash all over town. Most lotto offices are located in busy area thus the opportunity for any culprit to carry a hold up is greatly reduced.

@ADRIAN FABBRI that s good hope like you do that they are caught and GET A FAIR JUDGEMENT
not to be granted bail and roam again in the streets

Gentlemen - all your suggestions aimed at providing asdequate security to this high-risk business are valid but unfortunately IMPOSSIBLE to implement. It is commercially unfeasible for Lotto receivers to install Epos facilities due to the commission charged by banks, as this will totally erode the commission earned on most games/services. It is likewise unfeasible to engage a security firm to collect the takings. Unfortunately, lotto receivers are left entirely to their own devices to negate the threat of hold ups, with the only significant help coming from the Police and their mobile squad in particular – Unfortunately, all other stake holders have no interest whatsoever in providing assistance. It is very simple really - Lotto receivers are simply cash collectors for Maltco - with all the risks that entails. At the very least, one would expect that Maltco share the burden of security especially since the overwhelming majority of takings actually belong to them and not the receivers. However, as with every other monopoly, security issues are deemed as an added headache and cost centre.

To add to my previous comment and to agree with S. Suda, not everyone is/would be able to use a handgun, or would have fast enough reactions to cope with a situation should it occur....

Therefore, the Government / Maltco should make sure that Lotto receivers are safe behind protective screens and a Panic Button connected to the Police and Maltco offices (Like in Banks) so if someone should run in waving a gun/ Knife, the receiver can drop down behind their desk and hit the button alerting the Police etc...

Regarding Large Cash deposits, they should either be collected by security guards during the day, or if they can't come at that time, rather than take the money away, they lotto offices should be forced to install time activated safes and security alarms / cameras, which when past a certain time of evening, will not open until the following morning...

There are 3 lotto booths that I can think of offhand that need to either be moved or at least developed into proper secure buildings, In Mosta (near the old peoples home), and at the Ta Paris junction and Near Mensija/ San Gwann...

(To L. Debono. )

Not all people who according to you are classed as high risk to crime (such as lotto recievers) have the guts or are capable of carrying around and use a hand gun!

In the case of lotto recievers, some kind of agreement between the government, maltco and the LRU should be made to give protection to these workers.

Yes give lotto receivers a permit to carry a gun and then turn them into cowboys!!!!!!!!!!!! Hallina trid???

Friends let's pray for the victim and hope that the culprit / s get caught AND GET A FAIR JUDGEMENT......... not a suspended sentence or else some psychiatric treatment at Mount Carmel because he is on drugs (poor man!!!) and again they get away with it.
Stories like these are being repeated year after year , again what level of protection must be given by our so competant authorities??what about the victim in terms of level of aid especially from the culprit himself??

People that are classed as high risk to crime, especially where multiple threats were experiences occurred, should be allowed to defend themselves and apply for handgun permit.

Let's face it, even if the police drop everything and rush to the incident, the victim could be already dead. Theses aggressions have to be countered with immediate powerful reactions.

@Ramon Casha
Whoever wants to use a card can do so, but no one is going to order me to do so or make me pay more if I use cash.

They stand to lose not me.

@ Ramon

WOW!! Using your Credit Card to gamble, rather than for use in emergencies etc......That's all we need, Long queues of people maxing out their visa cards and spending money they don't have on lots of tickets whenever there's a rollover. We already hear the stories of people not buying medicine / food whenever there is a big jackpot, can you seriously imagine how much people would spend if they can just "charge it", this would probably help push up interest rates of credit cards etc etc.....


The best solution for lotto offices are security vans to collect deposits etc like they do with Banks, at least it would be more secure for the lotto receiver, and the security firms would be a more secure way of transferring large sums of cash, especially when the Jackpot hasn't been won in weeks.

Lotto receivers are often the target of such robberies because of the amount of cash they carry around in person. How about requiring each receiver to have an ePos device, and adding a 10% charge to any lottery tickets bought using cash, in order to encourage the use of cards?