Lottery and Gaming Authority chairman Mario Galea.

Lottery and Gaming Authority chairman Mario Galea is expected to step down, sources told The Sunday Times of Malta, and his replacement has already been identified by the Government.

However, both Mr Galea and Parliamentary Secretary Edward Zammit Lewis yesterday refused to confirm the news.

When contacted, Mr Galea – who is also a consultant to the New Jersey gaming regulator and owns a consultancy company involved in the sector –said he was still chairman.

Dr Zammit Lewis, who appointed Mr Galea as chairman last May, said Mr Galea has not yet resigned.

The Parliamentary Secretary would not confirm either that Joe Cuschieri, a former Vodafone senior official, is to succeed Mr Galea or that CEO Reuben Portanier had left his post.

In 2008, after serving as the LGA’s CEO for a number of years, Mr Galea had resigned his post a few months before his contract was up for renewal, citing health reasons.

Questions had been asked at the time about his potential conflict of interest as the former owner of Bellmed, a service provider company to the iGaming industry. Though he had divested his interest on his appointment as CEO, the then Labour opposition had criticised the appointment.