The MGA will be represented by its Chief Legal Counsel, Carl Brincat, and by Senior Legal Counsel, Yanica Sant.
Michele Magro is the Chief Counsel International Affairs & Policy and, in his role, he is responsible for identifying areas requiring policy initiatives and executing accordingly. Furthermore, Magro is also responsible for the EU and international affairs of the MGA, including relations with foreign counterpart regulators, matters relating to European Union and international legislation. He is a lawyer by profession, having graduated from the University of Malta in 2014 after defending his thesis entitled ‘The Protection of the Consumer in the Remote Gaming Industry’
Magro is also the Chairman of the MGA’s Supervisory Council, the committee responsible for overseeing the regulatory function of the MGA, providing guidance to the same, and making recommendations to the MGA’s Chief Executive and Board of Governors. Michele is also a board member of the Gaming Regulators European Forum (GREF) and he was one of the main drivers behind the legal overhaul of gaming law in Malta.
GMB - Why MGA is coming to the I International Online Games Regulation Seminar of the Brazilian Association of Operators and International Games’ Providers? Maltese operators see value in this kind of knowledge exchange?
Michele Magro - The MGA is attending on invitation by the Association. The process of regulating the gaming industry is one that many countries have undertaken over the years, and in the MGA’s experience, it is always helpful to share knowledge.
The MGA keeps in regulator contact with counterpart regulators across the world, exchanging information in pursuit of common objective.
The president of this Association, Mr. Witoldo Hendrich Junior, says that Brazil is the last big jurisdiction to regulate gambling and also that this could be a good factor, because Brazil can copy what is good and discard what didn’t work around the world. How MGA can help Brazilian legislators to develop the best regulation possible?
Malta first regulated gambling in 1998, and has consequently made sweeping changes in 2001, and most recently in 2018, wherein Malta overhauled and modernised its gambling regime.
We have gathered experience and what works and what does not work by virtue of our own errors, and we often look at the laws of other countries for inspiration and best practices. We are very happy to sit with Brazilian legislators and share our experiences.
MGA has ever seen a jurisdiction so affected by black market, as Brazil? How can Brazil fix it?
Gambling is a global phenomenon, and without regulation, it undoubtedly spreads. In our experience, control and regulation has always worked better than prohibition, and in fact we allow practically all types of gambling in Malta, so there is ample consumer choice, but everything is also subject to governmental regulation and taxation.
Regulation however has to come hand to hand with social responsibility, in view of the nature of gambling and its impact on society. Our laws in fact are designed to give maximum protection to the player.
Source: exclusive Games Magazine Brasil
