The court has turned down two applications for a warrant of prohibitory injunction against the authorities filed by two gaming companies that wanted to continue using their electronic bingo terminals. Bingo Ltd and Gaming Operators Ltd filed the request after the trial period for use of the terminals expired in April.
Mr Justice Tonio Mallia noted that the Gaming Authority had never committed itself to allow the companies to continue operating indefinitely.
The companies had no "legitimate expectation" to continue operating as they did.
Mr Justice Mallia referred to a press release on the electronic bingo terminals issued by the Gaming Authority in October 2006.
The release said that once the trial period was up, "the authority is expected to issue regulations and specification standards to licence, supervise and control this new form of gaming." The bingo licence was under a limited trial period, which was extended several times, but there never was a guarantee that they could operate indefinitely, Mr Justice Mallia said.
Keeping this in mind, the companies were aware of the risks they were taking with their investment.
Gaming Operators Ltd filed the request against the Police Commissioner and the Gaming Authority while Bingo Ltd filed it against the Gaming Authority.
Attorney General Silvio Camilleri and lawyer Peter Grech appeared for the Police Commissioner. Lawyers Kris Borg and Joseph Borg appeared for the Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Ivan Gatt for Bingo Limited and Alex Perici Calascione for Gaming Operations Limited.