Malta Gaming Authority chief nears exit – report

Joseph Cuschieri will reportedly step down as head of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) to take up a new role with the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).

According to the Times of Malta newspaper, Cuschieri will take on the newly created position of chief executive at the MFSA within the next few weeks.

As the MFSA does not currently have a chief executive, the Maltese government is to create the position in order for Cuschieri to join the organisation.

Cuschieri’s departure from the MGA has been mooted for some time now, after reports emerged towards the end of last year that he had resigned from the national regulatory body in order to join the MFSA.

However, at the time, a spokesperson for the MGA told iGaming Business that the MGA was not aware of the departure, while Cuschieri later also confirmed he remained in his role with the regulator.

iGaming Business has contacted the MGA again for confirmation of Cuschieri’s exit.

The Times of Malta said that Heathcliff Farrugia, the long-time right hand man of Cuschieri at the MGA, will now head up the regulator, while Malta Investment Management Company chairman, Adrian Said, will become executive chairman of the body.

The report comes after the MGA last week announced plans to review its Italian online licensees in response to police-led, anti-Mafia activities.

Earlier this month, the MGA suspended the licence of Phoenix International due to alleged links with Italian Benedetto Bacchi, who was arrested in Italy as part of an anti-Mafia.

Police alleged that Bacchi operated a series of data transmission centres that circumvented gaming authorities in Italy in order to avoid paying local tax.

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