Lazio Regional Administrative Court accepts the appeal of a betting company and cancels the tax for the sport-saving fund. The confirmation hearing will be held on 2
Provided in the D.L. 34/2020 (the so-called Relaunch Decree) converted into Law no. 77 to the extent of 0.5% on the collection of bets on any sporting event, including virtual ones, net of the single tax, this measure will be in force until 31 December 2021 and should have the aim of helping sports clubs hard hit from the epidemiological crisis of Covid-19. In this regard, a maximum ceiling was established, set for the year 2020 at 40 million euros, while for 2021 it rises to 50 million euros. This additional tax on betting, however, has aroused much controversy, especially among professionals in the gaming sector. In fact, numerous protests were organized by the managers and workers of the legal gaming sector who tried to make their voices heard in the institutions, believing that the new tax was unjust and disproportionate following such a long period of forced closure of the exercises. Many of them argue that 0.5% of wagers could affect up to 17-18% of total collections, causing a loss of turnover which, for many betting agencies already in great difficulty, could lead to definitive bankruptcy with the consequent loss. of numerous jobs. Well, a few days ago the President of the Second Section of the Lazio TAR, with a precautionary decree, accepted the appeal of Betfair asking for the cancellation of the aforementioned tax and suspended the payment, the first installment of which expires on November 30th, on the assumption that “the conditions of extreme gravity and urgency required by art. 56, first paragraph, of the c.p.a., given the objective and immediate damage to the contested measures, especially in the part in which they require a substantial payment by next November 30 ". According to the administrative judges, in fact, Betfair, "as an economic entity that offers traditional fixed odds bets, especially through a particular type of public game, regulated by Italian legislation and known as Betting Exchange for which it does not carry out any effective collected, is currently affected by the adoption of the directorial determination "of Adm as regards" the methods of calculating and applying the amount of 0.5 per cent of wagers on bets ". This provision, however, must be confirmed by the Board after having fully discussed the issue in contradiction with A.D. M. The new hearing has been set for next December 2nd. We remind you, however, that the President of the First Section Quater of the Lazio TAR had recently suspended payment of the tax in question also for normal sports bets. Also in this case, a precautionary decree was issued and the hearing in the council chamber will be held on December 4.
