Lotto receivers will be reopening their booths as from tomorrow but will reserve the right to take further action, the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, GRTU, said.

The GRTU thanked the receivers for obeying its directive and said that together with the Lotto Receivers Union it had decided to suspend actions. However, members should be on the lookout for directives which may be given at any time.

Most lotto receivers went on strike today in solidarity with Paul Mamo, who runs a lotto office in Mosta and who has had his terminal disconnected since August 16 as he could not afford to increase his monetary guarantee to €24,000 from €10,000.

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

Mr Mamo also filed an application for a warrant of prohibitory injunction to stop Maltco terminating his service agreement as it had threatened to do in a letter.

Maltco said earlier today that as much as lotto receivers had the right to strike, the company was acting according to the agency agreement signed with each and every agent, in accordance with the financial and operational obligations of the contract signed with government for the next 10-year period of operations.

It said that 50 agents opened for business today.

Agents were Maltco Lotteries’ only sales agents and like every other business it was the company’s responsibility to ensure that reasonable sales targets were met and that its interests were safeguarded for the benefit of all stakeholders.

A substantial number of lotto receivers who invested and took their business seriously praised Maltco’s professionalism and support and confirmed that their earnings grew substantially and in some cases even doubled, the company said.