Italy

Borsa Milan-listed gambling firm Gruppo Gamenet SPA has issued a ‘senior non-convertible bond’ valued at approximately €225 million, which will be put forward to private institutional investors. The non-convertible bond will have a maturity date set at 2023 and will be listed on Italian and European-wide bond exchange markets. Updating investors, Gamenet governance details that it will utilise the proceeds …

The new Serie A season kicked off on 18 August, with Italian football clubs securing a reported €125 million in lead shirt sponsorship revenues. According to data collected by Italian sports business news source SportEconomy’s ‘football shirt sponsor index’, Serie A football clubs continue to grow their lead partnerships, which have grown year-on-year since 2015, when combined Serie A sponsorships …

Following the request of all of Italy’s top flight clubs, The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is moving forward with plans to allow Serie A sides to utilise sleeve sponsorship deals. The proposal could potentially expand the shirt sponsorship opportunities for Italian sides, allowing them to promote four partners on their official matchday shirts. In an official statement, the league stated: …

European online bookmaker Marathonbet has raised eyebrows confirming that it will act as official shirt sponsor of Serie A football club SS Lazio. Marathonbet details that it has secured a fixed short-term sponsorship with Lazio, which will terminate in January 2019 as the Italian government imposes its blanket ban on betting/gambling advertising, sponsorships and marketing across all media and sports …

Moreno Marasco, the President of Italian online betting/gambling trade body LOGiCO has penned an open letter to industry leadership urging for ‘self-discipline during Italy’s transitional advertising period’. Though all Italian betting stakeholders, face tough adjustments to meet the demands of the incoming (1 January 2019) Lega-5Star ‘Dignity Decree’ banning all forms of gambling advertising, LOGiCO pleads for restraint and responsibility. …

As anticipated Italy’s parliament has approved the mandate of the Lega-5Star ‘Dignity Decree’ which will lead to a blanket ban on betting/gambling advertising, marketing and sponsorship across all verticals. Approving the mandate, the Italian government stated that it fully supported the stringent directives which seek to reduce social harms created by the Italian gambling sector. Lega and 5Star officials have …

LETOU has announced a partnership deal with Serie A giants Inter Milan to become the club’s first ever Asian online gaming partner. The Filipino firm will become the club’s Official Regional Online Gaming Partner, in an agreement that will see the club’s image and identity used as part of LETOU’s promotions in Asia. Hugely popular across Asia, the betting and …

Regulus Partners, the strategic consultancy focused on international gambling and related industries, takes a look at some key developments for the gambling industry in its ‘Winning Post’ column. US: post PASPA positioning – first mover advantage? It has been a very busy week of deal-making, launches and planning in the US, as well as the Q2 reporting season. The biggest …

Facebook has become the latest US tech giant to confirm that it will comply with the approved mandate of the new Italian coalition government’s ‘Dignity Decree’. Updating its Italian advertising terms and conditions, Facebook states that it will no longer accept adverts, promotions, pages, Instagram accounts and apps that promote or facilitate online gambling. “Pursuant to recent legislative developments, our …

As Italy’s parliament debates the approved mandate of the Lega-5Star ‘Dignity Decree’, implementing a blanket ban on sports betting advertising and sponsorship, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has detailed its support for Italian industry trade body – LOGiCO’s stance against the proposal. Teaming up with LOGiCO, the EGBA has sent a joint letter to Italian MPs ‘expressing significant …