MGA facing backlash over latest chairman appointment
Young lawyer Ryan Pace appointed by government to lead Maltese regulator despite no prior experience of igaming
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has selected lawyer Ryan Pace to be its new chairman, according to reports.
Pace was appointed deputy chairman of the MGA in 2020 by Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela and has previously worked as a lawyer for island-based law firm Abela Advocates.
His areas of legal expertise are understood to be employment and labour law, civil and commercial litigation, planning and environmental law, arbitration and citizenship law.
Pace, who is in his late 20s, also serves on the board for several state authorities, committees and government-owned companies.
These include Mediterranean Offshore Bunkering Limited, Engineering Resources Limited, Film Finance Malta Limited and the Malta Film Commission, among several other high-profile entities.
In his new role as MGA chairman, Pace will oversee the strategic development of the regulator in line with policy and strategic objectives.
However, Pace is understood to have no prior experience of gambling regulation.
Reflecting on the appointment, RB Capital co-founder Julian Buhagiar said he was disappointed by the choice, given Pace’s inexperience with regulatory issues.
“This is really poor showing, coming off the back of the recent scandal surrounding the previous chairman, who had to resign and is now facing criminal charges over alleged trading in influence with an alleged murder suspect,” Buhagiar told EGR.
“A reputable authority should be looking to hire someone to boost its credibility, not the other way round,” he added.
The Malta Gaming Authority is responsible for overseeing hundreds of billions of euros in gaming transactions. Ryan Pace's only qualification is a recent law degree, that he worked at the PM's firm and that he's a governing party activist. He is now in charge of the MGA. https://t.co/kTKKrTleNs
— Matthew Caruana Galizia (@mcaruanagalizia) April 21, 2021
Pace has replaced former MGA chairman Heathcliff Farrugia, who left the MGA under a cloud in October along with chief regulatory officer Karl Brincat Peplow.
Farrugia is facing criminal charges over his relationship with disgraced Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech, who has been implicated and charged in the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.