Lotteries operator Maltco has warned of possible disruptions in lotto sales from tomorrow after the majority of lotto receivers failed to pay a collective guarantee agreed last week for equipment.

A spokesman for the company said receivers had not paid some €300,000, which is almost 10 times higher than the guarantee paid in previous years.

As a result, the operator has not yet installed the new terminals and equipment which must be used from tomorrow when the company’s new system comes into force.

Sources said the majority of lotto receivers form part of this collective guarantee scheme.

A dispute between the Lotto Receivers’ Union and Maltco was resolved last week following the intervention of Finance Minister Tonio Fenech.

The dispute arose when Maltco asked the union to increase the collective guarantee scheme to €500,000 from €35,000.

Following talks, the parties agreed on €300,000. This is the guarantee the receivers offer as assurance for the money they owe the company.

Some 170 receivers are covered by a collective guarantee while the rest, about 40, individually discuss guarantees with Maltco. Lotto receivers had until Friday to submit the guarantee and Maltco’s technicians were ready to go to each to install the new equipment.

As from tomorrow, receivers are expected to start operating with the new terminals. Those who have not submitted the guarantee will not be able to sell lotto and Super 5 tickets.

The company spokesman said this may create some disruption to its customers since not all lotto receivers will be fully operational by tomorrow.

Maltco had already provided all lotto receivers with the necessary training and consumables for the new systems, and mobilised all its necessary resources to make the necessary installations at all lotto receivers over the weekend.

“(Monday’s) deadline cannot be postponed and only those with the new equipment installed will be able to operate. All agents were aware of this since the original plan was to start in December but the date was delayed for the agents to be ready (for the switch),” a Maltco spokesman told The Sunday Times.

The company, the spokesman said, was installing the new equipment which was bought as part of its €5 million investment programme.

Efforts to contact the Lotto Receivers’ Union or the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU, which represents receivers, were unsuccessful.

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