Gaming authority chairman, CEO resign posts

Auditor Joseph Cuschieri has been appointed executive chairman of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) following the resignation of. Reuben Portanier from the post of CEO and the resignation of Mario Galea from chairman of the board of the LGA.

Portanier had served the LGA for the past five years, while Galea was recently installed as chairman despite holding a hefty business interest in the e-gaming business both in Malta and internationally. Galea had a salary of €13,000 a year while Portanier was paid €81,500 per year.

Cuschieri is a certified public accountant specialised in management accounting and finance and holds a Masters Degree in Business Management from Henley Management College, UK.

He is also the son-in-law to foreign minister George Vella.

Prior to joining the LGA, Cuschieri was Chief Commercial Officer at Vodafone Malta and senior consultant with Ernst & Young.

In a statement, the parliamentary secretary for competitiveness Edward Zammit Lewis said Cuschieri had vast experience in economic regulation particularly in the electronic communications sector where he spent five years as COO at the Malta Communications Authority.

"In his new role, Cuschieri will be focusing amongst other things on reforming the authority to make it more efficient and agile, strengthening the relationships with all stakeholders, strategically grow the on-line gaming sector and promote Malta as a globally recognised gaming jurisdiction.

"I am delighted to announce this appointment at such a crucial stage in the development of the on-line gaming industry in Malta. With Cuschieri's appointment at the helm of the LGA and the support of Mario Galea's expertise in the remote gaming sector, I am confident that the LGA will have the right professional set-up to enable its continued development. In this way, Malta as the leading gaming jurisdiction in Europe will continue its drive to protect such a strategically important economic sector and also grow into other niche markets."