News details

In a double interview recently released to Agimeg, Attorney Stefano Sbordoni (General Secretary of Utis) and Fabrizio Fiorentino (director of the ADM Betting Office) underline the renewed perspectives of the new Totocalcio starting from January 8-9 2022.

A completely new Totocalcio, with the maintenance of the 1X2 formula, the return of the '13' as a first-class prize and the introduction for the player of the possibility of managing his predictions and making more than a '13' with a single ticket. Finally, next January 8 - 9 the new Totocalcio will start, which includes more game formulas. In fact, it will be possible to play three, five, seven, nine, eleven, thirteen games included in a schedule consisting of eight compulsory events and up to twelve events chosen by the player, each formula will give rise to its own prize pool and the compulsory games will come choices among those with the most uncertain outcome, in such a way as to make the prediction difficult even for the simplest formulas (three, five, seven), however leaving the player the possibility to choose one or more optional events to be included in the prediction . Stefano Sbordoni (General Secretary Utis) and Fabrizio Fiorentino (Director of the ADM Betting Office) have both highlighted that this new Totocalcio has been reformed in order to make it more attractive for a wider audience and, therefore, also for young people. The reform, prepared by the Betting Office on the basis of an original project by the General Manager, aims at relaunching a historic game, part of the proceeds of which - it should be emphasized - is destined - through Sport e salute s.p.a. - to social, sporting and cultural activities. On the reasons why the new football pools should attract Italians, Avv. Stefano Sbordoni indicated, first of all, precisely because of the curiosity of the new formula among those who have always known it, and for the one on what it is among those who have heard its name but have not known or practiced it. 

Both, then, underlined that the new competition will have to attract Italians first of all for the charm that comes from a long history that, in different ways, has continued uninterrupted for over 70 years and that the new version has ample possibilities for play and, therefore , a flexibility that is suitable for a wider audience than the one traditionally fond of the competition. Furthermore, the simpler formulas, i.e. those in which you have to predict 3, 5 or 7 events, are able to attract the attention of the youngest bettors accustomed to playing the fixed odds, also because, in all formulas, it is left to the player the possibility to choose a part of the events to predict. Furthermore, of the new game formula, both highlighted, among the characteristics that could please the old and new public, the flexibility, the possible connection with fixed-odds bets, the choice between several formulas, interactivity, the dematerialization of the game. traditional ticket, the possibility to choose which formula to play (from the simplest up to the traditional 13, which finally returns after being supplanted for years by an anonymous 14) and which matches to include in the prediction and that a part of the proceeds deriving from the pools are destined to social, sporting and cultural activities. On the possibility that this new Totocalcio could also please a younger audience, Avv. Sbordoni, in particular, highlighted that young people are attracted to new things and that, therefore, with a good launch of communication by institutions and dealers this interest can be adequately stimulated. The fact that sports, cultural and social activities can be promoted through the new Totocalcio, both concluded, is certainly a further incentive. 

Finally, on the growth forecasts, both recognized that it is difficult to make growth forecasts for an innovative product like the one we are talking about and it is equally difficult to make forecasts on the timing. Fiorentino, in particular, reiterated that the Agency focuses heavily on the refurbished football pools and expects a growth in the product that will necessarily have to be supported by the state concessionaires "but identifying the timing and volumes of increase, at present, is very difficult" . For Avv. Sbordoni, moreover, the time to verify the real impact of the new football pools on the public will depend on the duration of the pandemic, "but we always want to be optimistic and see the light at the end of each tunnel, therefore also considering the calendars of the championships already at the halfway point, I say 12 months from the first competition".