Malta's WorldMatch has become the first online gambling system licensed and regulated fully by an EU member country. This is the first casino operation of its kind in the newly created Maltese gaming jurisdiction since the island's recent legislative reforms.

EU sees first licensed online gambling system

Malta's WorldMatch has become the first online gambling system licensed and regulated fully by an EU member country. This is the first casino operation of its kind in the newly created Maltese gaming jurisdiction since the island's recent legislative reforms, Onlinecasinonews.com reported.

Although online gambling companies have already been operating in Europe in Alderney and the Isle of Man, they are self-governing British Crown dependencies, and thus not members of the European Union.

"WorldMatch is a pilot project," said Alessandro Fried, president of WorldMatch. "It's been conceived by experts and it's supported by Italian stakeholders, who decided to support a creative idea in the online gaming sector, but with a strict monitoring".

The new Maltese regulation is defined by strict adherence to responsible gambling practices and the WorldMatch system is unique in that it stops every hour to check the players' age.

"WorldMatch firmly believes that creating and managing a casino means shouldering moral responsibilities," said Fried. "The choice fell on Malta, which became a EU member country on May the 1st; it's a country offering guarantees of reliability and political stability with a very strict regulation, making checks on players compulsory, restrictions on games and anti-money laundering control".

Over the next two years, WorldMatch expects a turnover of ˆ200 million.