NEWS | Wednesday, 03 September 2008

Malta regulates adult gaming site

David Darmanin

Oceania P-Club Ltd and Oceania Clubhouse, Malta-registered subsidiaries of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy empire, have been granted by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) in Malta a license to operate an adult gaming website, this newspaper has learnt.
Adult entertainment, with which the Playboy brand is mostly associated, is heavily promoted through games available on www.playboycasino.com, as flash promotions on its homepage appear with such taglines as “Take part in the hottest strip poker game ever”, “Party with Hef at the Playboy Mansion” or “Play exclusive slots and win exclusive videos of the girls.”
Close to an LGA logo and a web icon of a Maltese flag the site’s homepage bears, a “click here” button invites users to learn more about Playboy Casino’s “Reward Club”, a system with which the virtual currency “Bunny Money” is gained in order to earn your way to an invitation to party with Hugh Hefner and his bunnies, or to lunch with the playmates at the legendary Playboy Mansion.
“Bunny Money can be traded in for a number of fantastic rewards or experiences, from a simple pack of sexy playing cards to the ultimate of partying with Hef at the Mansion! To see a full list of rewards and experiences including updates go to the Rewards Club now. Earning Bunny Money couldn’t be easier,” a note on the website reads.
Among other rewards offered, one finds a three-month subscription to Playboy Magazine, a three month subscription to the porno channel Playboy TV, and the hardcore paysite www.playboy.net.
Ironically, services offered on this gaming site are not available, by means of a legal ban, to residents of the US, which is where the mother company is headquartered and run by Hugh Hefner himself together with his daughter Christie, the wife of a former Illinois state senator.
Meanwhile, on every page of the website, as required by Maltese law, a prominent footer reads: “Oceania P-Club Ltd. and Oceania Clubhouse Ltd, company registration numbers C42048 and C42050). (Trading name of PlayboyGaming) are limited liability companies registered in Malta, a member of the EU since May 2004, that operate under licenses issued by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta (issued on the 17th August 2007 license number LGA/CL1/365/2006 and LGA/CL3/365/2006) and are also regulated by the said Authority.”