Malta - British Expat Forum

I am trying to figure out if anyone knows the legal requirements in Malta for holding a competition with a prize for the winner? This is not going to be a raffle unless running a raffle is totally legal in Malta.

I have contacted various legal departments and they seem to constantly get the wrong end of the stick. They assume I am wanting an online gambling licence, which I'm not.

Basically, this is going to be a competition where a multi-choice answer is given and anyone entering the correct answer then pays a nominal fee to enter ther competition with a very expensive prize, and various other prizes, will be given at the end of the competition.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Hi cbram, and welcome to the forum

Is this for a registered charity in Malta or for private gain ?

It's to dispose of an article I no longer want and would be a one off competition. Therefore, I suppose it would be classified as for private gain.

I think you would require a police licence.

Dunno about Malta, but I've seen people trying to do similar in the UK, when they've been unable to sell their house by more conventional means. Many of them ran aground because of legal red tape, but with perseverance it can be done in the UK. Maybe in Malta too?

In the UK, I think you have to get an independent promoter/overseer to ensure no foul play (such as your friend or relative "winning" the prize). Another requirement appeared to be that some skill is involved in the competition - ie answer a question - rather than total chance, such as a lottery.

It's probably best to ask your lawyer for legal advice on this.

Some countries are quite freaky about gambling. It'll be interesting to hear how you get on. Please let us know. 8)

There is quite a dichotomy on gambling in Malta - you often hear comments from the church on the evils of gambling plus there are no bookmakers on the high street, and yet Malta is the EU leader in online gaming services, at every horse racing event there are illegal bookmakers, and the church does a roaring trade in raffles....