Malta under Fire: European Commission No Longer Tolerates Gambling Tricks
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19 Jun 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes Malta is under fire from the European Commission over its controversial Bill 55, a law that allows gambling operators with a Maltese license to disregard court rulings from other EU countries. This situation, long criticized by lawyers defending wronged players, may finally be coming to an end: Brussels is demanding explanations and threatens to escalate the matter to the European Court of Justice.
Imagine this: you’ve lost a significant amount of money at an online casino. You’re angry, frustrated, and you decide to file a lawsuit. You win. Yes! But then… nothing happens. Why not? Because the casino holds a Maltese license, and Malta says: “That foreign ruling? We’re not doing anything with it.”
Well, that feels like a slap in the face. And the European Commission feels exactly the same way. That’s why Brussels is finally stepping in. Because what Malta is doing with Bill 55, as the law is called, is really not okay according to the EU.
What is Bill 55 exactly? A big middle finger to other countries
Bill 55 is a Maltese law that states: if you hold a gambling license on our island, you don’t have to comply with rulings from courts in other EU countries. So imagine: a Belgian judge rules that a player should get their money back? Malta simply replies: “We’re not doing that.”
The European Commission has had enough. They believe Malta is breaking EU rules. Because in Europe, we’ve agreed to respect each other’s court decisions. You can’t just say: “Nice try, but we’re not following through.”
Lawyers cheer, players finally see a light at the end of the tunnel
Lawyers fighting for players’ rights call this moment “historic.” They’ve been battling these kinds of legal safe havens for gambling companies for years.
Now, finally, Brussels is saying: this far and no further.
Why is Malta doing this anyway?
Malta wants to protect its gambling industry. Plain and simple. The country earns a fortune from gambling licenses. So yes, if lawsuits start popping up everywhere against these companies, it’s bad for business. But according to the European Commission, you can’t continue to benefit from EU membership while ignoring its rules.
And let’s be honest: Malta has played this game cleverly for years. But other EU countries are fed up.
What happens now?
Malta has two months to come up with a satisfactory explanation. If they don’t, the case can go to the European Court of Justice. And that could really hurt. Because gambling companies would then be forced to comply with foreign court rulings. And yes, that could cost them millions.
For players who lost money at Maltese casinos, this is huge news. If this procedure succeeds, they may finally get justice. And get their money back.
Malta says: “That’s not what we meant”
The Malta Gaming Authority made an attempt to smooth things over. “Bill 55 is not intended to ignore all foreign rulings,” they said. But no one is buying it anymore. Malta has been claiming for years that they’re doing nothing wrong, while reality shows otherwise.
The EU seems to see through it now.
Players are no longer pawns in the game of gambling giants
This story isn’t just about laws and regulations. It’s about people. About players who thought they were playing safely, but were harshly mistreated. About individuals who fought for years to be heard.
And now? Now it seems Brussels is finally listening to them.