Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1471449
3 NEWS 23.6.2022 NATIONAL Lottery plc, a sub- sidiary of the IZI Group and the new operator of the National Lottery of Malta as from July 5th, 2022, has announced in a joint statement with the repre- sentatives of the national lottery agents, that it has concluded an agency agreement that will reg- ulate the business relationship between the parties for the next 10 years. e process at reaching this milestone commenced in late 2021 when the representa- tives of the national lottery agents, the Lotto Receivers Un- ion (LRU) and the Gaming & Lotteries Agents Association (GLAA) had both endorsed the bid submitted by National Lot- tery plc for the Request for Pro- posals (RFP) process through a Memorandum of Understand- ing (MOU). Over the last months, since be- ing declared as preferred bidder, National Lottery plc, the LRU, GLAA and Malta Chamber of SMEs entered discussions with the aim of concluding an agen- cy agreement for the duration of the concession term, aimed at strengthening the relationship between the parties. "It is our pleasure to announce that after months of discussions, National Lottery plc and the lottery agents' representatives, namely the LRU and the GLAA with the sterling support of the Malta Chamber of SME's have sealed the terms of the agency agreement for the next 10 years. is agreement will allow for the modernisation of the national lottery retail network through substantial investments in tech- nology and content delivery, as well as a general refurbishment programme to bring the retail network in line with European benchmarks over the next eight- een (18) months," said Johann Schembri, Chief Executive Of- ficer of National Lottery plc. "Retail distribution has always been considered as one of the strategic pillars of the Nation- al Lottery, and through our investment in technology, the adoption of new work practic- es and the joint refurbishment investment programme, we are establishing a forward-looking framework that will facilitate the growth of the national lot- tery while improving the liveli- hood of hundreds of families," Schembri added. "We are very excited for the commencement of this new national lottery concession un- der the stewardship of National Lottery plc", said Marco Rossi – President of the LRU. "We have secured an agency agreement that provides good prospects for our members. Adapting to change is never easy, but we all truly understand that a proper investment pro- gramme was needed, and we found National Lottery plc open to such an investment in the re- tail network." "is new operation instils in us more pride, as for the first time in history it will be oper- ated by a fully owned Maltese company, providing a service by the Maltese to the Maltese" denoted Joseph Farrugia – Pres- ident of the GLAA. Conrad De Giorgio – Gener- al Secretary of the GLAA said that the Maltese public will be offered a product of the highest standard and will give an oppor- tunity to agents to flourish in their businesses. Abigail Mamo, CEO at the Malta Chamber of SMEs said that the coming 10 years bode well for an exciting and reward- ing journey. "It is critical for everyone to continue on the tone of the dis- cussions and work together in good faith," she said. National Lottery plc will take over from Maltco Lotteries on 5 July, with the first live draw taking place on Saturday 9 July, for the popular Saturday Lotto draw. National Lottery plc concludes agreement with lottery agents