Update: Lock Poker Issue Addressed by Merge

Network engages in talks with LGA After what seemed to be a discriminatory move by Malta internet gambling regulator the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA), which this week issued a statement denying that Lock Poker has its licensing and the right to its seal, thereby singling it out from the rest of the members of the Merge Poker Network whose part it forms, Merge entered talks with the regulator in order to solve the issue. The statement issued by the LGA earlier this week reads: "Lockpoker.eu is not licensed by the LGA "The Lotteries and Gaming Authority would like to inform the public that the website http://lockpoker.eu/ has no connection whatsoever with the Authority and therefore any mention of the Authority or licence issued by the Authority on the mentioned website is false and misleading. "The Authority advises the public to play responsibly with companies licensed by jurisdictions that have sound remote gaming regulations." The whole action, apart from being discriminatory, seems confusing at the same time. Namely, it was only recently that the regulator awarded the Merge network to which Lock Poker belongs with a category 4 operating license, which includes platform operators and software vendors "hosting and managing other remote gaming operators". After such a move, one would expect a reasonable explanation from the regulator for singling out Lock Poker and letting the rest of the network's members keep the LGA seal on their sites, but no comment has been made so far. According to Merge's announcement, they are currently in talks about the issues with the LGA, and it was also confirmed that Lock Poker has provided it with all the information required by the LGA.