The Malta parliament has passed legislation to allow the country’s courts to no longer enforce foreign court judgments against licensed gambling operators if they comply with local rules. The new law follows discussions between Minister for the Economy Silvio Schembri and operators after a raft of overseas lawsuits.

The sum of these claims could add up to hundreds of millions of euros.

Austrian and German civil courts have been trying to get certain Malta Gaming Authority-licensed companies to compensate users for historical losses. They allege that these companies illegally offered online gambling products to people. The sum of these claims could add up to hundreds of millions of euros.

One of the questions that still remains about Bill 55 is if it is actually compatible with EU laws. The EU Commission is currently dealing with a complaint from Austrian and German lawyers who are accusing Malta of violating European law for providing a “protective shield” for gambling operators who are facing lawsuits in these nations.