The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has embarked on a review exercise of the current Fiscal Receipts Lottery and made a series of recommendations to the Ministry for Finance and Employment.
In line with Directive 1 of 2020, entitled ‘VAT Fiscal Receipt Lottery Directive’, the Fiscal Receipts Lottery is deemed to be an exempt game in terms of the Second Schedule of the Regulations, thus it does not fall under the MGA’s oversight. Nevertheless, the MGA has lent its experience and knowledge to ensure the fair and transparent proceedings of the Lottery.
During inspections carried out by MGA officials, it was noted that the current lottery standard operating procedures already have safeguards in place to ensure the fairness of the draw. All the received receipts are first put in containers, which are then poured into a raffle drum, that is turned after a fixed number of containers is reached and the drum is filled. Once full, the power switch which is used to turn the raffle drum is locked with a numbered seal (disabling any movement) to avoid tampering with any of the tickets. This is also photographed, and the photo is then sent to the CFR department. The numbered seal is only cut in the presence of the board members responsible for the draw. The board comprises of a government notary, representatives from the CFR department, the Ministry for Finance and Employment, the National Audit Office, and a representative from the Public. The person that draws the tickets is chosen by the Ministry for Finance and Employment and changes at every draw. Following the draw, all remaining receipts are disposed of.
An in-depth assessment of the lottery draw; from the collection stage to the drawing stage, has been conducted by MGA officials to identify any gaps and potential issues in the process. Recommendations have already been submitted and discussed together with the Ministry for Finance and Employment.
The Fiscal Receipts Lottery involves the draw of fiscal receipts sent by the public to the Ministry for Finance and Employment. The lottery, introduced in 1990, has grown significantly over the years, with the draws reaching around 3 million fiscal receipts per month.
The Fiscal Receipts Lottery Unit and the Authority are committed to taking all the necessary actions to ensure increased transparency in relation to this lottery.