A bill approved by the Maltese parliament shields the island nation’s gambling operators from foreign governments trying to use judgements against them to punish them for accepting online customers from their countries, SBC News reported.
Bill 55 will allow the island’s courts to refuse to enforce such foreign judgments against operators licensed by the Malta Gambling Authority (MGA). After the bill was approved it was signed by President George Vella and became part of the Gambling Act.
The bill prevents enforcement measures from being taken if the operator is acting lawfully under the Act.
Malta is home base for many gambling operators and suppliers which are active in both European betting markets and around the globe.
Some legal experts say the bill was a direct response to actions taken by Austria and Germany against Maltese operators accused of offering their services illegally to those countries’ residents.
The government insists that the MGA license allows businesses based on the island to offer services anywhere in the European Union. It cites the EU’s principle of free movement of goods and services and says that trumps individual national laws.
Regulators based in Germany and Austria have appealed to the EU Commission, arguing that it violates the European Rule of Law.
