GBM global business magazine – Studio Sbordoni Italy
Despite the world economic crisis, the Italian gambling and betting market is constantly growing and has now reached more than €60bn (4% of the GDP).
The Italian state has adopted the so-called “channelling into controlled circuits” formula, which is mainly focused on regulation, and whose aim is the co-existence and protection of the consumers’ interests, the operators’ needs and the state and tax-related interests. The formula has so far proven to be successful.
At the European level, the Italian model, as well as the French one, is carefully analysed and copied by EU members and the European Community; the recently-published ‘Green Paper’ on illegal gambling has launched a consultation round aimed at fighting against illegal gambling and promoting cooperation among the member states.
The Italian 2011 Budget Law (Law No 220 of 13 December 2010), the so-called Legge di Stabilità (Stability Law) has brought in some novelties: a ‘gambling package’, with provisions to ensure the Treasury an annual income of €500m, some strong measures to fight against illegal gambling and a series of provisions to protect minors and help the Italian Authority to monitor online gambling and slot machines efficaciously.
Having chosen a licensing system, the parallel market becomes a serious problem for the Italian Authority, according to which it counts almost a thousand agencies, working on behalf of foreign companies, without any licence in Italy…