‘We decided to act on the spot’: Lahcene Merzoug on raising €20,000 for RMJ Horse Rescue

A community fundraising initiative led by entrepreneur Lahcene Merzoug and his partner Maria Moller has raised more than €20,000 for RMJ Horse Rescue, with Malta-based iGaming operator PressEnter Group matching public donations to support the launch of a new therapeutic arena project.

The fundraising campaign was created after Mr Merzoug and Ms Moller visited RMJ Horse Rescue through a friend volunteering with the organisation. Despite corporate social responsibility budgets already being allocated for 2026, the pair decided to act immediately.

“All my companies regularly engage in CSR work, both locally and internationally. Yet, this island and its community have truly become our home since we moved here in 2013, and that’s why giving back, especially to a cause so close to our hearts, meant so much to us,” Lahcene Merzoug said.

“Though our CSR budgets were set for 2026, when a friend who volunteers at RMJ invited us to visit, Maria and I were extremely impressed by their work. On the spot, we decided to act; we created a fundraiser, and PressEnter Group promised to match every donation.”

“In just four weeks, we raised over €10,000, and with PressEnter’s match, RMJ received more than €20,000.”

The funds will support RMJ’s ‘Track to Trust’ initiative, a therapeutic arena designed to bring retired racehorses and children together through trust-building and confidence development programmes.

The fundraising effort concluded on 24th May with a ceremony attended by donors, alongside GamingMalta CEO Ivan Filletti and Permanent Secretary within the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, Sharlo Camilleri.

Ivan Filletti described the initiative as an example of how Malta’s iGaming ecosystem contributes beyond business activity.

“This is a perfect example of how the iGaming industry, through our strong ecosystem, contributes to meaningful CSR initiatives beyond the sector,” he said.

“Hats off to Lahcene and Maria and the PressEnter Group for this worthy cause, and for championing it right here in Malta.”

RMJ Chairperson Corinne Farrugia said the funding would allow the NGO to move forward with a long-held ambition.

“The dream which was once only in our heads to bring retired race horses and children together can now finally be turned into reality,” she said.

“Thanks to Lahcene and Maria, this milestone is nearer and we, as RMJ can really start the works to have adequate facilities for the T2T project, Track to Trust, where retired racehorses find a new purpose while helping children build trust and confidence.”

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Sliema, PressEnter Group operates within Malta’s iGaming sector and has increasingly engaged in local community initiatives alongside its international corporate social responsibility efforts.

RMJ Horse Rescue is Malta’s only licensed NGO dedicated to rehabilitating neglected horses and currently cares for more than 100 horses through volunteer-led operations.