Malta LGA: it's a gambler's obligation “to perceive gambling as a form of entertainment”

Friday, June 25, 2010

Malta LGA: it's a gambler's obligation “to perceive gambling as a form of entertainment”

The Lotteries And Gaming Authority of Malta, that beguiling ventriloquist's doll dancing on the end of strings pulled by its casino and sportsbook puppetmasters, takes the moral and ethical issues of gambling seriously. As such, it has a charter on the rights and obligations of players (see my backup copy if needed):

The aim of the Charter is to develop standards, as form of best practice, in the light of consumer concerns. The Authority shall try its utmost in attaining the standards set by this Charter.

The Malta LGA does not, unfortunately, have a good record in attaining standards.

On the other hand, it does have a good record of continuing to license crooked sportsbooks long after they've stopped paying their players.

It's directors also have a good record of threatening members of the industry who question their regulatory methods.

But standards?

Not really.

So I'm not holding out too much hope for the good of the gambling public on the basis of this charter.

Of the eighteen obligations that players have (there are just thirteen “rights”), number five jumps off the page:

Gamblers are obliged to perceive gaming as a form of entertainment.

How to I consciously direct my perceptions?

Supposing I say to myself “tonight I really want to win some money at this casino”?

Given this “obligation”, why not simply play in free mode? If I can't gamble from a desire to win money, why gamble with real money in the first place?

What if a Malta sportsbook offers me a free bet, with which I play according the rules, win, and cashout? Is this entertainment, or a desire to make money?

What if a Malta sportsbook has a good line on a bet I want to make, which I discover I can then lay off at another bookie and guarantee a profit?

What if a Malta casino offers a bonus with soft playthrough requirements and a relatively easy profit, which I cashout as per the rules?

Given these circumstances, would Malta rule in favour of the casino not paying? With some reasonably deduceable “profit perceptions” in the mix, this could only represent an infringement of the gamblers “obligations”, according to the LGA.

What derisory nonsense. If you can gamble of your own volition with real money, you're entitled to have any intent under the sun with regard to the outcome, up to and including that universal attribute of Mammon: profit. You cannot gamble with real money and be expected to desire only marsh gas in reward. Gamble with real money = win real money.

And as far as your “perceptions” go, they are your business. They are certainly nothing to do with the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority.

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1 Previous Comments

If I want to play for entertainment purposes, I'll play the videopoker on an Xbox console, or maybe in free mode.

If I put money on it, I Intend to win. That's the entertaining bit.

Losing makes betting a pretty dull experience.

By Sandracer, at 3:19 pm

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