Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1275149
Casinos more popular with foreigners than locals MASSIMO COSTA CASINOS proved to be more popular with foreigners than the Maltese last year, with non-locals recording 530,095 visits in 2019 com- pared to the latter's 410,671. The Maltese, however, ap- peared to prefer gaming par- lours, registering 460,852 visits last year, more than the 338,569 recorded by for- eigners. The information emerged from statistics tabled in Par- liament earlier this month by Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, in response to a PQ from PN MP Hermann Schi- avone. Visits by the Maltese to casinos have been dropping over the years, from the 426,756 registered in 2016, to around 416,000 in 2017 and 2018, down to last year's figure. Those by foreigners, however, increased, from 477,656 in 2016 to 494,181 and 518,139 in 2017 and 2018 respectively. In terms of gaming par- lours, visits by locals have increased from the 338,635 made in 2016, to 391,764 and 449,858 in the subsequent two years. The rise in gam- ing parlour visits by non-Maltese was sharper, with 93,542 in 2016 in- creasing to 172,326 and 286,804 in 2017 and 2018 respectively, up to the high regis- tered in 2019. 12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 AUGUST 2020 NEWS JAMES DEBONO WHERE do you see robots help- ing society in daily life? For all EU member states the answer is healthcare, where robots could be deployed for remote-based, life-saving keyhole surgery and other time-saving procedures. Except in Malta (37%), where respondents to an Eurobarome- ter survey say robots could help in traffic management to reduce congestion and improve air quality. In a certain sense, the answer reflects the experience of the Maltese commuter frustrated by the growth of traffic pres- sures in the last six years from an enlarged workforce, and rel- atively untroubled on health thanks to its free national health service. Although not in first position, AI in traffic also receives high scores in Belgium (39%), Ger- many (36%) and Luxembourg (35%). It is mentioned least in Spain (20%), Czechia (23%) and Lithuania (25%). But the survey does reveal the importance of AI in medi- cine for member states, namely the Netherlands (74%), Cyprus (72%) and Sweden (60%), and least in Romania (31%), Malta (33%) and Hungary (35%). The proportion of respond- ents who think artificial intel- ligence is useful for robots to improve productivity and job safety was below 10% in Mal- ta (7%), Portugal (8%) and the Netherlands (9%). Those who saw AI useful to improve the safety and secu- rity of society was highest in the Netherlands (35%) and Bel- gium (32%) but lowest in Hun- gary (10%) and Malta, Austria and Romania (all 11%). The Maltese were also pro- portionally the most likely in the EU to say spontaneously that the use of AI is particularly appropriate in all the examples given (10%), but also the most likely to give no opinion (20%). Concern about the emergence of situations where it is unclear who is responsible for actions involving AI was highest in Finland (59%), Hungary (55%) and Romania (49%), and least in Luxembourg (29%), Portugal (31%), and France and Malta (both 36%). Moreover only 18% of Maltese are concerned with the emergency of situations where there nobody to com- plain to in case of problems. When asked whether the state should regulate the eth- ical aspects of AI or whether the industry should regulate it- self 30% of the Maltese replied "don't know". This was the sec- ond highest no reply rate in Eu- rope after Bulgaria. What is the best use for AI? Malta EU In medicine/surgery 33% 50% In traffic management 37% 29% Monitoring pollution 22% 26% To improve job productivity 7% 16% To improve security 11% 19% None 9% 7% All of the above 10% 3% Don't know 20% 8% Robots welcome in car-mad Malta The Maltese are the only in Europe to think the best use of Artificial Intelligence would be in traffic management, revealing to be the least aware of the multiple uses of AI in daily life DIZZ group streamlines food franchises with €10 million notes issue MATTHEW VELLA THE DIZZ franchise powerhouse led by fashion entrepreneur Diane Izzo is issuing a €10 million convert- ible notes programme to acquire shares in her group's food subsidi- aries. The D Foods Finance special purchase vehicle will be issuing a programme of €10 million in con- vertible notes in stepped phases, to professional investors in the form of €100,000 notes. D Foods will be acquiring stakes in DIZZ subsidiaries operating food franchises, and which are also run by Izzo's husband Karl, currently Malta's ambassador to Montenegro. The first part of the proceeds will be used to acquire €6.2 million in the companies' shares, namely 49% of the DK Pascucci coffee house franchise, 53% of Xilema Limited, which holds the Yogorino franchise, 53.5% in DCAFFE Holding, holders of the Pastrocchio, Salad Box and Nespresso franchises, and 53.5% of D Kitchen Lab, a company distrib- uting food products to the subsidi- aries' food franchises. By fully acquiring the subsidiar- ies, D Foods Finance plc will fully own the companies that collectively operate the Pascucci, Pastrocchio, Yogorino, Salad Box and Nespres- so brands in twelve establishments around Malta. By the end of 2019, the company had six Pascucci cafés, generating €1.4 million revenue. DCAFFE is estimating annual revenues of €2.5 million from the Pastrocchio brand, €950,000 from the Salad Box brand, and €4.2 million revenue from the Nespresso brand. Xilema's Yogori- no two outlets and a forthcoming Paceville outlet, are projecting €600,000.