Maltco Lotteries, which contributed €120 million in taxes to the government during its seven years of operations in Malta, plans to continue expanding its portfolio of games, the general director, Mario Cassar, says.

Mr Cassar told the companies 220 agents that, in spite of the complexity in managing its daily operations, Malta had been able to deliver a high standard of service in its work also with the help of its suppliers and the mother-company, Intralot SA. John Katakis, the CEO, highlighted the significant difficulties the company faced in its initial setting up following the privatisation of public lotto.

“A lot of people thought the project did not have any prospects and, indeed, many companies initially interested in running the national lottery dropped out at the early stages.

“But Maltco has been a success story for the past seven years, which is attributable not only to the significant initial financial investment of more than €22 million by Intralot, with its long-proven gaming expertise that developed the Maltese national lottery into a ‘boutique lottery’, but also with the continuous hard work and co-operation of all of you,” Dr Katakis told the agents. He emphasized that in a small market like Malta it is essential for the agents to be able to sell as wide a variety of games as possible in a responsible and well-regulated manner.

Maltco estimates to have contributed €120 million in taxes by the end of its seventh year of operation and €6 million are estimated to have been transferred to the Good Causes Fund from unclaimed prizes during the same period.

Maltco employs over 60 employees. Intralot is present in more than 50 countries in all five continents, employs about 5,000 people and posted a revenue of €903.6 million in 2009.