Re: Malta Casino
Fabulously Favuzza
The palace is named after Dragonara Point, the peninsula on which it was built. According to local legend, a dragon lived in caves near the peninsula whose roars reached the shore. The roaring was probably the sound of the waves breaking the rocks or the howling of the wind. It is believed that the rumours of the dragon were spread by smugglers to discourage people from going to the area.[3][4]
The palace opened as a casino on 15 July 1964, at a time when nearby Paceville began its transition from a mainly agricultural area to a tourist hub.[11] The Dragonara Casino was the first casino in Malta, and this was a major step in establishing Malta as a tourist destination.[12] In the 1990s, The Westin Dragonara hotel was built on part of the palace's gardens.[13]
Dragonara Palace is built in neoclassical architecture, and its colonnades are inspired by those of Villa Portelli and Palazzo Capua.[18] The design of the Dragonara Palace later inspired the colonnades of Palazzo Pescatore, which was built in St. Paul's Bay in the late 19th century.[1]
The palace originally consisted of a colonnaded villa with a central courtyard.[3] The Scicluna family leased the property in 1964 to the Kursaal Company Limited when the courtyard was roofed becoming the casino's gaming rooms and the Slots Palace was built at the back, which were designed by Dom Mintoff, an architect who eventually became Prime Minister of Malta. At this stage the Sheraton Hotel was built on the ground of the palace's gardens[20] that was eventually replaced by The Westin Dragonara.
When the palace was originally built, it was surrounded by extensive gardens. Part of these were destroyed to make way for The Westin Dragonara hotel and the casino's parking lot.[13] The palace's Sunken Garden, which contains a number of fountains and olive trees, is now located within the grounds of The Westin Dragonara.[21]
The main entrance into the palace's gardens consists of an arch with the inscription Deus Nobis Haec Otia Fecit, meaning "God made these leisures for us".[3] It is designated as a Grade 1 property by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.[22]
A fountain containing a statue of Neptune was located at the entrance of the palace, just after the path leading from the gardens. The statue was built in the 19th century, but it is inspired by an earlier statue of Neptune which is now found in the courtyard of the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta. The fountain and statue are now located inside the palace for their preservation.[23]
Since the statue of Neptune was relocated to the palace, a life-sized statue of Marquis Emmanuele Scicluna has been located in its place. The statue was designed by the Italian sculptor Giulio Moschetti,[24] and it was restored in 2014.[25]
Some rooms of the palace contain frescoes painted by Vincenzo Maria Cremona. The fresco in the Yellow Room shows military and floral paraphernalia, as well as a bird holding a garland of roses. The ceiling panels of the Green Room has frescoes showing a personification of industry.[26]
I fell in love with casinos the first time I walked into a beautiful little casino on Malta. At that time the Casino in the Dragonara Palace, on a promontory and surrounded by three sides by the Mediterranean Sea, was a very elegant place. Many women, including me, wore evening dress. No man could enter without a tie and, for all but the hottest of months, he needed a jacket as well.
In those days, there were no slot machines to disturb the peace of the glamorous women perched on their tiny gold chairs at the French Roulette tables. Russians gambled next to Americans, next to Lebanese, next to North Koreans! I was mesmerized. Without developing a taste for gambling, I became fascinated by casinos.
Guest author Wendy Mason (@WWisewolf) is a coach, consultant and writer. She works with people and organizations going through change. You can read more from Wendy on her blogs Wisewolf Talking and Leaving the Public Sector
Take time out to enjoy the Oracle Casino Bistro, a place to relax and catch up with friends. The Bistro is a modern, city-style restaurant within the casino itself. We have created an a la carte menu which blends the flair of international dining with distinct colours and flavours of the Mediterranean. Choose from a variety of antipasti, pasta dishes and fresh fish to a selection of contemporary specialties and grills. With regular themed evenings and nightly live entertainment, the Oracle Casino and the Oracle Casino Bistro uniquely combine to give you two nights out in one, the fun of the Casino with the pleasure of dining. Look for special promotions given regularly.
The customer had notes attached to his player profile, which required his identification documentation to be collected on his next visit to the casino. However, no notes were entered that referred to collecting source of funds information or documentation.
In another case, a former politically exposed person (PEP) registered with the casino and was categorised as low-risk despite their status. Once the company conducted checks on the player, the individual was found to have allegedly been involved with bribery and tax evasion.
Looking at how other European countries define the legal gambling age, the vast majority of them have it set at 18. At 21, we have Lithuania, Belgium, Estonia, and Greece. Oddly, we have Malta at 25, the sole exception to the overall consensus in Europe.
One possible reason behind the 25+ rule could be that the older clientele want to keep their social circles unscathed by the young. Keep in mind that many people visit traditional brick & mortar casinos for the vibes and the opportunity to socialize.
According to the National Opinion Research Center, the percentage of problem gamblers in the overall gambling population is less than 1%. In other words, those who are predisposed to addiction are more likely to find other outlets as well, including the likes of alcohol and smoking. Still, the beliefs of society do not always fall in line with the facts, making concern a possible explanation.
Relevant Products are regulated in Malta under the Gaming Act (Cap 583 of the Laws of Malta) and by the Subsidiary Legislation issued thereunder, as well as by the instruments and directives issued by the MGA.
The Gaming Act came into force in August 2018 as a result of a legislative and regulatory overhaul of the previous Maltese gaming regime, namely the former Gaming Act, which regulated land-based casinos and casinos on cruise ships within Maltese territorial waters, and the Lotteries and Other Games Act, which regulated all other forms of gaming, including remote gaming and skill games with prizes, together with other land-based Relevant Products, being (amongst others) the National Lottery, bingo halls and gaming parlours.
The new Gaming Act thus saw the consolidation of all relevant gaming activities falling under one singular act. The Gaming Act also determines the functions of the single regulatory body, being the MGA.
In broad terms, the offer of Relevant Products to persons in Malta is permitted insofar as the Relevant Products are being provided under the required licence/authorisation. The licensing requirements are addressed more specifically through subsidiary legislation in the form of regulations that fall under the said Act. There are 12 subsidiary legislations falling under the Act, namely the:
The MGA has the power at law to issue directives, whereby the Authority utilises this legal instrument to provide directives to the industry that have the characteristic of being adaptable to industry developments. Examples of such directives include the Player Protection Directive.
On paper, the Gaming Act does not stipulate any limitations on the number of land-based casinos; however, a land-based casino licence is dependent on a licence applicant holding a government casino concession, and the number of concessions available are limited according to government policy. Presently, there are four licensed land-based casinos in Malta.
The submission of licence applications can only be done through the MGA eServices portal, where the documentation mentioned above needs to be uploaded, and statutory forms and declarations need to be filled in.
Following provision of documentation and information to the satisfaction of the MGA, the applicant is invited to hold a systems audit in a staged environment, whereby the actual games that would be on offer and the technical set-up would be audited by an independent auditor, approved by the MGA but selected and appointed by the applicant.
Once a positive audit report is submitted to the MGA by the systems auditor, and provided that the probity checks do not result in anything negative about the applicant company, its shareholders and key people, the MGA can proceed with the issuance of a licence, provided that all the relevant fees have been paid.
There are various restrictions placed on licensees, which may vary according to the type of licence held. Some restrictions are a result of conditions dictated by law, whilst other restrictions may be part of a licence conditions document issued by the MGA. The main restrictions worth mentioning include:
Since 2004, Malta has pioneered the notion of responsible gaming, and has thus developed a whole array of reasoned restrictions which are the result of responsible gaming measures and which each licensee needs to follow and abide by religiously. Such responsible gaming measures include, but are not limited to, for instance: age restrictions (only persons over the age of 18 are allowed to bet); certain advertising restrictions; and the availability of self-exclusion.
B2B and B2C gaming licences are valid for a term of 10 years and are renewable subject to ongoing compliance and a renewal process. The concept of a licence for an occasional gaming event is also possible, and such licences are by their very nature temporary and limited to the said occasional event.
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