It sounds surreal but a complaint about tombola sessions held at political party clubs had actually made it to Cabinet.

It was 1964 and George Borg Olivier’s Cabinet was petitioned by the Beland band club in Żejtun and the Malta Band Clubs Association about a case of what they deemed to be unfair competition.

The band clubs wanted the government to stop political clubs from holding tombola sessions because they were undermining an important source of revenue for them.

In the petition they argued that band clubs fulfilled “an important civic and educational role” and it was in the public interest to enable them to earn the revenue needed to sustain their activities.

Tombla moved from a fun competition to a political football in 1964, Cabinet minutes from the time have revealed.

The petition was discussed at a Cabinet meeting on June 9, 1964, just three months before independence, and ministers turned down the request.

Cabinet minutes showed that ministers felt it was not correct to deny political clubs the right to organise tombola sessions.

Ministers noted that band clubs were being helped in other ways. Band clubs had been given lotto office facilities, which Cabinet concluded were “very rewarding” in terms of income.

But band clubs had also been exempt from income tax on any revenue generated and allowed to hold small prize games every year. Ministers felt this level of aid was more than enough and tombola sessions need not be the sole domain of band clubs.

The minutes are part of the secret Cabinet papers made available at the National Archives in Rabat.