Six gaming companies yesterday claimed that machines seized last week by the police matched the gaming authority's own specifications.

The companies filed a judicial protest against the Police Commissioner, the Lotteries and Gaming Authority and the Attorney General following a series of police raids on gaming establishments.

Gaming Operations Ltd, Media Games Malta (EU) Ltd, Zammit Videomatic Co. Ltd, Laak Ltd, Vanguard Gaming Ltd and Best Play Gaming Ltd said they had been holding talks with the authority for the past three years on the importation of sophisticated gaming machines.

These machines, they said, made use of IT systems which permitted the authority, as the regulator, to have direct access to them. The authority could thus remotely monitor their operation and the money which they generated, and charge tax accordingly.

The specifications which the machines had to meet were imposed by the authority during the talks, which were the prelude to a legal notice issued to regulate the operation of these machines.

In virtue of the talks and on the suggestion of the authority itself, the companies said they had invested millions of euro in the importation of the machines since they conformed to the law which was to come into force and the specifications laid down by the authority.

The authority had subsequently given them a temporary permit during which system tests were carried out on the machines.

Yet, without prior notice from the authority or the Commissioner of Police, police officers over the past few days had seized such machines, the companies said.

They added that they were suffering damages as a result of the police action and were holding the police and the authority liable for damages.

Lawyers Gianella Caruana Curran, Stephen Tonna Lowell, Kris Busietta and Patrick Valentino signed the protest.