PUBLIC LOTTO [ S.L.70.03 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 70.03
PUBLIC LOTTO REGULATIONS 
23rd July, 1990
LEGAL NOTICE 109 of 1990, as amended by Legal Notices: 119 of
1990, 123 of 1991, 88 and 119 of 1995 and 131 of 1998.
Title.
Interpretation.
"annual sales" means the sales between the first draw in January
and the last draw in December of the same year, and in respect of a
lotto office assigned to a concessionary, "annual sales" means the
sales made by that lotto office between the first draw in January
and the last draw in December of the same year;
"claim period" means the period following a draw within which
the staker in possession of a winning ticket may claim a prize;
"concessionary" means a band club or other society to which a
lotto office is assigned in accordance with the provisions of
regulation 9 of these Regulations;
"department" means the Department of Public Lotto;
"Director" means the Director of Public Lotto and to the extent
of the authority given, includes any officer of the department
authorised by the Director in that behalf for any purpose of these
Regulations;
"draw" means the extraction at random by physical mechanical
or electronic means of five numbers from one to ninety;
"lotto office" means any office or any branch or section of the
department or the place of business of a lotto receiver at which
authorised sales can be made;
"game" means the lotto game;
"lotto receiver" means the person appointed by the Minister to
accept and validate stakes on behalf of the staker for the purpose of
forwarding them to the department for entry in a particular draw;
"main computer" means the computer system situated at the
department or the localities as indicated by the Director, and on
which all information with regard to tickets participating in a draw
is read and stored and may be retrieved for further processing of the
draw;
"Minister" means the Minister responsible for finance and
includes, to the extent of the authority given, any person authorised
by the Minister in that behalf for any purpose of these Regulations;
"staker" means the person in possession of a valid ticket issued
through a terminal;
"terminal" means the data capture machine situated at a lotto
office from which authorized sales can be made;
2 [ S.L.70.03 PUBLIC LOTTO
"ticket" means the ticket printed by a terminal and bearing the
following information:
( a ) an identifying draw number for a draw in a particular
week;
( b ) the machine number and/or the lotto receiver number
of the relevant lotto office terminal;
( c ) the ticket registration number;
( d ) the stake paid; and
( e ) the numbers selected by the staker.
Method of 
conducting the 
draw.
Amended by:
L.N. 123 of 1991.
3. (1) The drawing of the numbers shall be held publicly at
the office of the Director or at such other place as may from time to
time be appointed for the purpose by the Minister, in the presence
of -
( a ) a representative of the Director; and
( b ) a notary public.
(2) The notary public present at the drawing of the numbers
shall draw up and sign a record of the proceedings which shall be
entered in a register to be kept for the purpose.
(3) The drawing of the numbers shall be held on each Saturday
at, or as soon as possible after, one o’clock in the afternoon:
Provided that if a public holiday falls on a Saturday, the
drawing of the numbers shall be held on the preceding Friday, and,
if the preceding Friday is also a public holiday, it shall be held on
the Monday following.
(4) The Director will publish the numbers drawn in each game
as soon as possible after each draw.
Stakes.
Amended by:
L.N. 119 of 1990;
L.N. 88 of 1995.
4. (1) It shall be lawful to lay stakes for the drawing of - 
the first number
two numbers (ambo) 
three numbers (terno)
four numbers (quaterno),
but the placing of stakes on more than one combination of numbers
on the same ticket, except on such as may be expressly provided for
the purpose, shall not be permitted.
(2) Lotto tickets shall be of the following values:
10 cents
25 cents 
50 cents 
Lm 1,
for a simple stake, and 
10 cents made up of one terno and three ambos of 2c5 each,
25 cents made up of one terno of 20 cents and three ambos
PUBLIC LOTTO [ S.L.70.03 3
of 5 cents each,
50 cents made up of one terno of 20 cents and three ambos
of 10 cents each.
1 lira made up of one terno and three ambos of 25 cents
each,
for a combination of stakes on the same ticket, and as shown in the
Schedule for special combination tickets. Each special combination
ticket shall show how the value of the ticket is divided into the
various stakes it is made of.
(3) Receipt of the ticket by a staker shall constitute an
acknowledgement that the numbers thereon are the player’s
selection. It is the responsibility of the staker to ensure that the
numbers shown on the ticket are correct before leaving the lotto
office.
(4) A player participates in the draw when the relevant
information about his stake is deposited at the department by the
lotto receiver in the presence of the Director in the case of Malta
and in the presence of the Commissioner or his representative in the
case of Gozo. If, for any reason whatsoever, such information is not
received and entered in the main computer at the department, the
related stakes are automatically invalidated and the staker is
entitled only to a refund equivalent to the amount staked upon
presentation of the relevant ticket.
(5) The tickets in the draw shall only be those stored in the
main computer at the department.
(6) A ticket has been recorded as void on the data capturing
media of the main computer shall be deemed to be void and of no
validity in claiming a prize, and the staker shall  have  no claim
against the department or the lotto receiver whether such void
recording is attributed to the staker, to a malfunction of the
computer system or to an error on the part of the operator or lotto
receiver.
Lotto prizes.
on the first number drawn
sixty-four times the amount of the stake;
on two numbers drawn
two hundred and fifty times the amount of the stake;
on three numbers drawn
two thousand times the amount of the stake;
on four numbers drawn
five thousand times the amount of the stake.
The amount of 
lotto prizes.
Amended by:
L.N. 88 of 1995;
L.N. 119 of 1995;
L.N. 131 of 1998.
6.   (1) When the total value of all prizes in a draw exceeds
five hundred thousand liri, the amount of each prize shall be
reduced proportionally so that the total value of all prizes shall not
exceed that limit:
Provided that the Minister may, in such cases where the
five hundred thousand liri limit is exceeded, authorise the full
payment of prizes won if he deems it justified on grounds of policy.
4 [ S.L.70.03 PUBLIC LOTTO
(2) In computing any such proportionate reduction, any
fraction of one cent not exceeding five mils forming part of a
reduced prize shall be ignored, and any fraction of a cent exceeding
five mils forming part of a reduced prize shall be construed
accordingly. The highest amount referred to in sub-regulation (1)
of this regulation is to be construed in accordance with the
provisions of this sub-regulation.
Notification of 
winning.
7. Notice of all winnings shall be given to the Director within
thirty days from the date of the respective draw. 
Prize claims. 8. (1) Winning tickets shall be presented for payment and
examination within thirty days from the date of the respective
draw:
Provided that if the last day falls on a Sunday or public
holiday, the claim period shall be extended to the first following
working day. 
(2) Payment of prizes by the department shall be made by
cheque or as the Director may from time to time  direct .
(3) No prize money shall be paid unless the relevant winning
ticket is presented.
(4) Unless otherwise instructed by the Minister or by the
person presenting a winning ticket, the prize money shall be paid to
whoever presents the winning ticket. The payment of any prize won
by a staker on such a ticket shall be deemed as a full discharge by
the department of all its obligations.
(5) The holder of a winning ticket shall not be entitled to the
prize money -
( a ) if the ticket is not whole, or if it contains any
alterations or corrections of the numbers registered
thereon; or
( b ) if the ticket does not tally in all aspects with the
records stored in the main computer:
Provided that, where the winning ticket is not whole, the
Minister may in his discretion authorize the payment of the prize
money if he is satisfied that the part produced contains the
necessary elements to establish the authenticity of the ticket or that
the parts produced are parts of the same ticket and contain such
elements.
(6) The records of the department as to payment of a prize in
respect of a ticket shall be conclusive.
(7) No prize shall bear interest against the department.
(8) The Minister may authorise the payment of prize money to
the winners after the claim period expires if in his absolute
discretion he considers that circumstances justify such a payment.
Lotto offices. 
Amended by:
L.N. 88 of 1995.
9. (1) All lotto offices shall be run by receivers on their own
account . H owever some of the lotto offices shall be assigned to
band clubs and other societies.
(2) The Minister shall have the power from time to time to
PUBLIC LOTTO [ S.L.70.03 5
decrease or increase the number of such offices, and to transfer any
of them from one locality to another.
(3) In respect of lotto offices assigned to band clubs and other
societies, rent and electricity consumption and meter rent shall be
borne in their entirety by the concessionary when the lotto office is
housed in the same premises as the club or society to which it is
assigned,  but it  shall be borne as to one-half by the concessionary
and as to the other half by the lotto receiver when the lotto office is
housed elsewhere.
(4) Any agreement between the concessionary and the lotto
receiver regarding the payment of expenses which is not in
conformity with the provisions of sub-regulation (3) shall be null
and void.
Appointment of 
lotto receivers .
10. Lotto receivers shall be appointed by the Minister and they
shall  be required to  give such security in relative proportion to the
amount of business carried on in their respective offices as the
Minister may in his discretion determine.
Commissions 
payable to lotto 
receivers, expenses 
related to lotto 
offices and 
appointment of 
assistants.
Amended by:
L.N. 88 of 1995.
11. (1) From the total amount of sales made in respect of each
game ten  per centum  of such amount shall be allocated for any
commissions due to lotto receivers and concessionaries and for
subsidies that may be allocated for sporting activities or any such
activities as the Minister may from time to time  determine .
(2) The Minister may from time to time determine different
commission rates payable to lotto receivers and when applicable to
concessionaries of lotto offices in respect of sales. The Minister
may also from time to time determine the commission rates payable
to all lotto receivers in respect of  the  cashing of winning tickets.
(3) In respect of lotto offices assigned to band clubs and other
societies -
( a ) wages paid to assistants shall be borne solely by the
lotto receivers; and
( b ) any agreement between the concessionary and the lotto
receiver regarding the payment of expenses which is
not in conformity with the provisions of paragraph ( a )
s hall be null and void.
(4) Receivers shall be bound to carry on the business
personally with the help of assistants where necessary.
(5) It shall not be lawful for lotto receivers to enter into or
continue in any partnership in connection with their lotto office, or
to have any direct or indirect interest in any lotto office, other than
th at  assigned to them, nor shall they be allowed, without the
consent in writing of the Director, to engage directly or indirectly
in any business or to follow any occupation other than that  which is
connected with their lotto office.
Lotto receiver 
deemed as the 
agent of the staker.
12. Nothing contained in these Regulations or any other law
shall be construed as implying that the lotto receiver is an agent of
the department  on the strength of his duty to forward  information
regarding stakes to be stored on data capturing machines at the
department, or of validating information about stakes  made  in a
6 [ S.L.70.03 PUBLIC LOTTO
game . In these matters  the lotto receiver shall be deemed to be
exclusively the agent of the staker.
The day and time 
up to when stakes 
can be accepted at 
Lotto offices.
13. The Director shall determine the day and the time up to
when stakes can be accepted at a lotto office for any particular
draw. This information will be prominently displayed at such place
of business.
Conditions. 14. (1) These Regulations and conditions shall apply and shall
be binding on all stakers as soon as  the  payment of the relative
stake is made.
(2) A copy of these Regulations shall be available for public
viewing at the department and at the place of business of all lotto
receivers.
PUBLIC LOTTO [ S.L.70.03 7
Added by:
L.N. 119 of 1990.
SCHEDULE
(Regulation 4)
Special Combination Tickets
“Straight” Ternos
Quaternos
Combinations 
Staked
Ambos 
Combined
Cost of Stakes
10c 25c 50c Lm1
3 numbers 3 Lm0.30 Lm0.75 Lm 1.50 Lm 3
4 numbers 6 Lm0.60 Lm 1.50 Lm 3.00 Lm 6
5 numbers 10 Lm1.00 Lm 2.50 Lm 5.00 Lm10
6 numbers 15 Lm1.50 Lm 3.75 Lm 7.50 Lm15
7 numbers 21 Lm2.10 Lm 5.25 Lm10.50 Lm21
8 numbers 28 Lm2.80 Lm 7.00 Lm14.00 Lm28
9 numbers 36 Lm3.60 Lm 9.00 Lm18.00 Lm36
10 numbers 45 Lm4.50 Lm11.25 Lm22.50 Lm45
Combinations 
Staked
Ambos 
Combined
Cost of Stakes
10c 25c 50c Lm1
4 numbers 4 Lm0.40 Lm 1.00 Lm 2.00 Lm 4
5 numbers 10 Lm1.00 Lm 2.50 Lm 5.00 Lm10
6 numbers 20 Lm2.00 Lm 5.00 Lm10.00 Lm20
7 numbers 35 Lm3.50 Lm 8.75 Lm17.50 Lm35
8 numbers 56 Lm5.60 Lm14.00 Lm28.00 Lm56
9 numbers 84 Lm8.40 Lm21.00 Lm42.00 Lm84
10 numbers 120 Lm12.00 Lm30.00 Lm60.00 Lm120
Combinations 
Staked
Ambos 
Combined
Cost of Stakes
10c 25c 50c Lm1
5 numbers 5 Lm0.50 Lm 1.25 Lm 2.50 Lm 5
6 numbers 15 Lm1.50 Lm 3.75 Lm 7.50 Lm15
7 numbers 35 Lm3.50 Lm 8.75 Lm17.50 Lm35
8 numbers 70 Lm7.000 Lm 7.50 Lm35.00 Lm70
9 numbers 126 Lm12.60 Lm31.50 Lm63.00 Lm126
10 numbers 210 Lm21.00 Lm52.50 Lm105.00 Lm210
