Malta Refuses to Enforce French Judgement

The Maltese Court of Appeal has refused to enforce a judgment brought by a French court in a case brought by the French horse racing operator Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) against the Malta-based online bookmaker Zeturf. The original judgment by the French tribunal in July 2005, upheld by the Paris court of appeal in January 2006, had ordered Zeturf to cease taking bets on horse races held in France. However, the Maltese court concluded that “the matter was of administrative nature and therefore falls outside the scope of the EC regulation”. It said PMU was “incorporated as a commercial entity and yet regulated by an ‘ad hoc’ law that gives it power that is usually not allocated to private enterprise”.

Although PMU has repeatedly denied that argument, the Maltese court concluded that it “is an entity of an administrative nature that is singularly empowered to shape and enforce French policy on gaming matters”.

:. Back