Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1302895
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 OCTOBER 2020 13 COMMERCIAL Maltco Lotteries re-certified in responsible gaming MSC Cruises' MSC Magnifica sets sail with 10-night cruise holidays in west and east Mediterranean Hotel Valentina supports action for Breast Cancer Foundation RECOGNISED for putting its player's safety at the core of its operations, Malt- co has once again been accredited with the highest level of Responsible Gam- ing Certification (Level 4) by the World Lottery Association (WLA) and also the Responsible Gaming certification from the European Lotteries (EL) Association, which are the two leading associations in the lottery and gambling sector with more than 100 international members being affiliated to them. Maltco Lotteries added two major mile- stones to its portfolio for the third con- secutive time. The company has achieved the alignment with the EL Responsible Gaming Standards and has also met the criteria to be granted accreditation by the World Lottery Association in accordance with its agreement with the European State Lottery and Toto Association. Responsible gaming is an integral part of the INTRALOT Group policy and Maltco as a member of the Group, applied Responsible Gaming prac- tices in order to offer the players exciting, but at the same time se- cure gaming experiences. Vasilei- os Kasiotakis CEO of Maltco Lot- teries Limited stated that Maltco Lotteries, engages, supports and continuously upgrades the Re- sponsible Gaming processes, ad- hering to the principles, guide- lines and standards set by the EL Responsible Gaming Framework. The company reaffirmed that whilst wanting players to enter- tain themselves, it also encourag- es them regularly to play in a very responsible way. "This is a great achievement for Maltco as we place utmost im- portance to specifically design games on responsible gaming principles as we care about our player protection. Our compa- ny's teams and agents devote any required effort, daily, in a continuous endeavor to protect our players from any Problem Gambling issue and direct them as ap- propriate to a secure and entertaining gaming experience," the company's CEO Vasileios Kasiotakis, said. The WLA and EL Executive Commit- tee stated their appreciation towards the sterling work that Maltco Lotter- ies and collaborators have per- formed throughout the years and they expressed their pleasure in giving the certification of align- ment to Maltco Lotteries Ltd for the third time. Internally, the audit helped all functions of the lottery and all employees to come togeth- er, engage more directly and to better understand the importance of Responsible Gaming. Externally, Maltco sent a message to the stake- holders and the general public that commitment to Responsible Gam- ing is very important. The most challenging aspect was the gathering of the necessary documentation, but impeccable teamwork helped to overcome this process. Maltco was audited by an international audit firm who found the company to be aligned with all the requirements to acquire this certification. The audit takes plac- es every three years, with Maltco achieving its first certification from WLA and EL in 2014 and 2017. For more information you may email info@maltco.net , visit the company's website, social media pages or call Maltco's Helpline on 23883333. MSC Magnifica departed Genoa, Italy yesterday and became the second MSC Cruises ship to wel- come guests back on board since Europe's leading cruise line re- started operations in August. The ship has commenced a stunning 10-night voyage of relax- ation and discovery in the West and East Mediterranean Sea with planned calls at the port of Livor- no for visits to Florence and Pi- sa, Messina in Sicily, Piraeus for Athens, Katakolon for Olympia, Valletta in Malta, and Civitavec- chia for Rome, before returning to Genoa. MSC Magnifica will oper- ate six enriched, long Mediterra- nean cruises before the end of the year, including a special 8-night Christmas voyage that will depart Genoa on 18 December. This is the second ship to imple- ment MSC Cruises' comprehen- sive health and safety protocol, that has been endorsed by exter- nal medical experts and formally approved by the relevant national and regional authorities. The com- prehensive safety-first measures designed to protect the wellbeing of guests, crew and communities visited were first implemented in August when MSC Grandiosa be- came the world's first major cruise vessel to return to service and the Company's flagship has now com- pleted nine seven-night voyages and positively demonstrated the protocol's effectiveness. The measures include protected "social bubble" ashore visits for guests to allow them to also enjoy destinations at each port of call. PINK October gets off to a busy start at Hotel Valentina, with the team geared up to support Action for Breast Cancer and to raise awareness about this wor- thy cause in every way we can. Every week, we will be mak- ing a special cupcake deliv- ery to Sweet Valley Clinic in Balzan, and Tal Virtu Clinic in Rabat. We hope that this small gesture will add a touch of sweetness to the day of pa- tients and staff. But there's more – Hotel Valentina is also happy to offer accommoda- tion vouchers to all patients throughout October in an ef- fort to alleviate some of the hardships when needed most. Throughout the entire month the hotel will also be donating €1.00 per room night to Action for Breast Cancer in support of the continuous and invaluable work carried out by this organisation. The Action for Breast Can- cer Foundation is a voluntary organisation that campaigns for breast awareness and a quality assured service in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Malta and Gozo. Set up in March 2007, the foundation's achievements have been fundamentals for the persons diagnosed with breast cancer, some of them being a free brassiere to those who have undergone a mas- tectomy as well as free psy- chological services. Also, the government now offers free prosthesis to mastectomy pa- tients, thanks to their ongoing lobbying. Pink October activities at Hotel Valentina should have come to a conclusion with the organisation of an inti- mate event in collaboration with Action for Breast Cancer Foundation, at the end of the month. Due to the evolution of the pandemic in Malta, the event has been unfortunately can- celled.