Finance Ministry confirms lotto privatisation bids

The Privatisation Unit has confirmed that two bidders have submitted their tender for the concession for the rights of the national lottery of Malta.

Greek lotto giant Intralot - Maltco's parent company - will face global rival GTech, which on behalf of Lottomatica has submitted an offer for the same bid.

The evaluation of the offers will start following a request by incumbent operators Maltco in the Maltese courts for an injunction on the call for tenders for the operation of the national lotteries.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech had warned that the government would be forced to reconstitute the lotto department once again, if it as not allowed to go ahead with a new call for tenders for the private operation of the national lottery.

Maltco was granted a seven-year tenure for the operation of the national lotteries which was extended for a year, up to July 2012. But the government informed the company in March it will be issuing a new call for tenders in 2012.