Lotto receivers threaten action

Lotto receivers are considering more action after a meeting with lotteries operator Maltco failed to solve the impasse between the two.

The meeting followed a one-day strike last week, in which the majority of the 210 lotto receivers kept their doors closed to business because of the dispute they have with the operator, especially in connection with the monetary guarantee the company wants them to increase.

The GRTU council is expected to meet tomorrow to discuss the situation and decide a way forward.

GRTU official Joe Attard said he was “not excluding anything”, when asked what action could be taken.

He said the action was necessary because “a foreigner” was behaving in a way that was negatively impacting Maltese operators.

The main issue involves Paul Mamo, who runs a lotto office in Mosta and who had his terminal disconnected on August 16 because he could not afford to increase his monetary guarantee from €10,000 to €24,000 .

Mr Mamo took the matter to court, complaining that the amounts he owed Maltco never exceeded €10,000 and were always covered by the previous guarantee.

According to the GRTU, the receiver’s maximum exposure was about €6,000, well within the guarantee. The main bone of contention between the parties is the monetary guarantee that receivers give the company as an “assurance” for the money they owe.

Mr Attard said Mr Mamo has been without a means to his livelihood for nearly five whole weeks, adding that this was “unacceptable”.

Some 180 receivers are covered by a collective guarantee and the rest, about 31, have guarantees discussed individually with Maltco.

The receivers wanted to sign a collective guarantee but Maltco was objecting to it.