First international law firm to open in Italy, today Baker & McKenzie has more than 100 lawyers in Milan and Rome, serving the largest Italian and multinational corporations in a wide range of industries. In 1989, we created the Italian IT/Communications practice group, focused on the wide range of Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT). In recent years, our TMT team has developed in-depth knowledge and expertise in betting and iGaming, advising leading operators, service providers and other players in the industry. Our team is knowledgeable in all peculiar aspects of the TMT and iGaming business, and provides the full scope of services that sophisticated clients need, including advice on all regulatory and licensing matters, sector specific tax issues, corporate, labor, antitrust, data protection, money laundering, contracts and insolvency. We are also typically requested to advice on investments, acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships in the TMT and iGaming arena. Through the years, we have built a longstanding professional relationship with the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority and the Italian Administration of State Monopolies. As consistently indicated by international and domestic legal reviews and publications, Baker & McKenzie Italy ranks first tier amongst Italian firms offering TMT legal services, and a number of our lawyers are mentioned as leading individuals in the industry.

CSB Group (est. 1987) provides its clients with a spectrum of specialised business and commercial services including:

• incorporation of Maltese and Foreign companies
• company secretarial, management and directorship services
• trustee and fiduciary services
• accounting and payroll services
• tax structuring and administration
• obtaining of remote gaming licenses
• regulatory and business consultancy
• key official services
• back office support
• bank account opening and payment solutions
• intellectual property registration
• relocation assistance
• managed office space
• residence and work permit application
• recruitment services

Further details on the range of professional services provided by the CSB Group may be found on our website www.csbgroup.com. Also, CSB Group through its associated law firm namely Zammit & Associates – Advocates, provides an array of legal services focusing primarily on Company & Commercial law, Investment Services Law, Captive Insurance and Hedge Fund Registration, Employment Law, Aircraft, Ship/Yacht Registration & Finance, Intellectual Property, Immovable Property Law, and e-Commerce / Gaming Law. Further details may be found at www.zammit-law.com.

CSB GROUP                       
The Penthouse                     
Tower Business Centre         
Tower Street
Swatar BKR 3013
Malta - EU
T. (+356) 2557 2557
F. (+356) 2557 2558
E. igaming@csbgroup.com

Specialists in Gambling and Leisure Law

Harris Hagan is the only City law firm dedicated exclusively to the provision of legal services to all sectors of the gambling and leisure industry in the UK and internationally.

We are consistently highly rated by the leading independent directories and are recognised as the leading specialists in gambling and licensing law.  We offer unparalleled legal experience, knowledge and commercial understanding of the industry.  We aim to provide a full service to the gambling and leisure industry, including specialist regulatory, corporate and commercial advice.

We have advised many of the world's largest gambling and leisure operators. Our clients include governmental organisations, casinos, bookmakers, online gambling operators, start up ventures and manufacturers of gambling equipment.  Our partner-led approach ensures that our legal advice is both practical and commercial. We provide a level of service that is second to none.

Joelson Wilson has been regarded since the 1960s both nationally and internationally as one of the UK’s leading specialist law firms in gambling law, advising both leaders in, and newcomers to, the casino, bingo, slot machine, betting and lottery fields on commercial, regulatory and licensing issues. It has also been advising operators in, and suppliers to, the online gambling sector from the earliest days of the industry when the cutting edge technology was still the telephone.

The firm is consistently top-ranked in gambling & licensing law in both The Legal 500 (“Joelson Wilson’s service is exceptional, detailed and professional”) and Chambers & Partners Guide to the UK Legal Profession (“this value for money practice provides an excellent level of service”). It presently holds awards as InterContinental Finance Magazine “Law Firm of the Year (Licensing, Gaming & Betting) UK” and Corporate Intl Magazine “Gaming Law Firm of the Year in the UK”.

David Clifton is the Managing Partner of Joelson Wilson and has specialised in gambling law for more than 25 years. He is a contributing editor to the leading textbooks on the subject of UK gambling & licensing law and is himself top-ranked in Chambers, where he has been described as having a “meticulous eye for detail” and being “fantastically dedicated and client-oriented”, “hugely knowledgeable and skilled” and “a genuine expert in the field & an impressive advocate”.

He has been at the forefront in advising clients on the increasing range of opportunities – and the daunting new hurdles – arising in what is an ever-changing regulatory landscape for the international gambling industry.

The Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) is a single regulatory body that is responsible for the governance of all gaming activities in Malta including remote gaming, casinos, the national lottery and commercial bingo halls.  The LGA aims to regulate competently the various sectors of lotteries and gaming that fall under the Authority by ensuring that gaming is fair and transparent to the players, free from any criminal activity and ensures the protection of minors and vulnerable players.

In 2004, Malta became the first EU member state to regulate remote gaming.  A Maltese license is categorised into four classes that are modelled on the method of the operation.  The pragmatic approach towards regulation has attracted both Tier-1 operators and start-ups alike.  To date the LGA has received over 400 gaming applications.

The Maltese legal framework permits up-to-date and effective regulation that is inline with current business practices; giving operators the flexibility to take advantage of the latest technologies and business models, but at the same time putting in place the checks and balances to safeguard players and promote responsible gaming.

Studio Sbordoni has an established and highly-qualified reputation in the Gaming and Betting industry in Italy, as well as internationally.

Mr Sbordoni is a professor of IT Law at Università di Viterbo (Political Sciences). He is an adjunct professor at Italy’s Superior School of Economy and Finance.
In addition to supporting AAMS (Autonomous Administration of the State Monopolies) on matters of administrative law related to the gambling and lotteries industry, Mr Sbordoni is also a consultant to many Italian and foreign leading gambling operators.

 Studio Sbordoni activities in the Gaming and Betting industry include:
* Legal and business affairs advice and assistance in the Italian market
* Mergers and acquisitions
* Amicable resolution and management of disputes
* International arbitrations
* Joint-venture agreements
* Drafting law proposals on Gaming and Betting
* Handling relations between main players and governmental agencies in introducing and utilizing property rights on Games and Lotteries
* Studies and researches on new games projects (bets, lotteries, pool games). Technical and legal advice to all major gaming licensees in Italy and abroad.

Mr Sbordoni is a speaker at many important conferences on Gaming and Betting worldwide and in Italy, organised by governmental agencies and AAMS.

• He is the author of the chapter on Italy in the last three editions of the Internet Gambling Report.
• He has been published by the Academy of European Law – “Sanctions for Infringements of Gambling Laws in Italy”

He is the author of:

• “A Guide to the Laws and Rules on Gaming and Betting”, (Università della Tuscia) and
• “Licenced Games and On Line Gaming”, (Poligrafico dello Stato - March 2010); “

As a journalists Mr Sbordoni cooperates with TS, the major trade publication on betting in Italy, with Jamma and Agicos (the best press agencies on gaming), and with Atlante ) and Technet (a newspaper specialised on IT and Economy).

He is a member of IMGL (International Masters of Gaming Law), and has been Vice President of Centro Studi Italiano del Gioco (Italian Center for Studies on Gaming).

WH Law is a multi-disciplinary niche practice offering legal, regulatory and technical assistance to clients engaged in remote gaming, e-payments, telecoms, digital content, software development and other ICT-rich businesses.  The services offered by WH Law include remote gaming licensing and compliance, e-commerce compliance, key official services, company incorporation and maintenance, corporate restructuring, contract drafting and negotiation, intellectual property protection, advice on EU cross-border trade matters, strategic consultancy regulatory risk assessment, technical advice on high-performance systems, security and search engine optimisation.

Advocates is a leading Maltese law firm specialising in corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, finance, financial services regulation, hedge fund registration, e-commerce, employment, immovable property, shipping, yachting and aviation. Its client-base is largely composed of foreign-owned Maltese companies, high net-worth individuals and financial institutions.

The firm is committed to providing its clients with smart and effective legal solutions, based on detailed legal analysis and carefully-considered courses of action, delivering complete peace of mind- every time. This commitment, combined with pragmatism, efficiency and pro-active thinking, has earned the firm the solid reputation that its clients have come to rely on for their legal requirements in Malta.

The firm is registered as a member of the Malta Chamber of Advocates, the International Bar Association (IBA), the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners (IFSP), FinanceMalta, the International Tax Practitioners Association (ITPA), International Fiscal Association (IFA), Malta Maritime Law Association (MMLA), and International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL).

Areas of practice:

• Corporate
• Finance
• Insolvency
• Financial Services
• Shipping, Yachting and Aviation 
• Employment and Industrial Relations 
• E-commerce, iGaming & ICT
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation & Arbitration
• Real Estate
• Trusts