Italy

Italian gambling has been notified of progress on the regulatory front, as state auditor Ragioneria dello Stato has approved the draft ‘reorganisation plan’ of the sector prepared by Italy’s Ministry of the Economy and Finance.  Securing its progress, the plan has been forwarded to the government, which will review proposed amendments to ratify a bill that will be designated to …

Entain Foundation has extended its support for grassroots sports to Italy through its partnership with non-profit organisation, Sport Senza Frontiere Onlus. For the first time, the collaboration will now aim to deliver a social inclusion programme through free access to sport for young people across Italy – where Entain operates through the Eurobet, bwin and Gioco Digitale brands. Andrea Faelli, …

Hope dawns for a much-needed reform of Italian gambling, as the Ministry of the Economy and Finance is reported to have taken charge of a ‘reorganisation plan’ to implement an overhaul of market safeguards.  Despite securing cross-party consensus during the close of 2021, Italian MPs failed to approve any gambling reforms to be adopted by Italy’s Budget Law for 2022. A …

IGT Plc has executed an executive team and boardroom reorganisation, as Group CEO Marco Sala is appointed as Executive Chairman of the NYSE gambling technology group.  The appointment follows wider group developments, that saw IGT majority owner De Agostini SPA announce that Lorenzo Pellicioli had chosen to end his sixteen-year tenure as CEO of the Italian investment conglomerate. B&D Holding …

Flutter Entertainment Plc has this morning announced that it has secured definitive terms to acquire Italian gambling group Sisal for a consideration of €1.9 billion (£1.62bn). An agreement has been reached with US private equity fund CVC Capital – the current owner of SIsal – which will see the Italian market leader in online and lottery verticals transferred to Flutter’s …

Italy’s Budget Law for 2022 has been approved without any gambling sector amendments being adopted by Parliament. The result will see no legislative progress for Italy’s gambling sector that requires definitive resolutions on betting shop, gaming machine and online gambling concessions. Without Budget Law amendments, 2022 points to another year of conflict between operators and Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency …

PlanetPay365 has established a deal with ACF Fiorentina for the 2021/22 football season, as the enterprise becomes the club’s official value-added service partner. The agreement looks to increase the Planet Entertainment-owned brand’s visibility, and expand business in the Tuscan region, as the group will be present at the Artemio Franchi stadium on the LED perimeter boards. Troy Cox, Chief Commercial …

In a global rebranding, Czech gambling group Sazka Entertainment will now conduct business under the corporate identity of Allwyn, the company name it has been using for its UK operations. As the largest lottery operator in Europe, the group operates its flagship Sazka holding in its domestic Czech market in addition to Lotteries Austria, OPAP in Greece and Cyprus and …

Italy’s federal police force has arrested 12 suspects connected to its ‘Operation Game Over II’ criminal investigation of illegal and mafia-associated gambling websites.  A dozen individuals have been charged on counts of criminal conspiracy to carry out the ‘fraudulent conveyance of assets’ through illicit online gambling businesses. Investigators cited that the suspects were processing illegal online wagers via websites belonging …

Italy’s gambling incumbents have navigated another turbulent year, not just due to COVID-19 induced closures of retail outlets but also due to increased attention from the legislative and regulatory fields.  Discussing Italian gambling developments and prospects at the Betting on Sports Europe (BOSE) event, Marco Castaldo, CEO of Microgame, Carmelo Mazza, CEO of OIA Services, Stefano Sbordoni, Managing Partner and …