GW08-p40-markets:Layout 1 21/12/09 17:14 Page 1
VLT | ITALY
Italian street market changes
abruptly - for the better
y the end of 2008,
B
many thought that
The ‘Abruzzo law’ has created a brand new coin-op sector in Italy, with VLTs enjoying a
popularity explosion. Graham Wood looks back on 2009 and gazes into the potential
Italy
the liberalisation
of Italy’s gaming
future for Italy’s low-stake gaming market.
laws was com-
plete, with online poker and ANALYSIS
skill games launched in the asking for provided tax rev- to turnover in excess of E2bn reconstruction in Abruzzo.
Autumn, internet bingo due to enues increased allowing part by the end of 2009 - the arrival Sales of scratchcards have also
go live in the New Year and of the funds to be directed of cash games and online slots been on the up and once again
ever more slots in place in bars towards reconstruction. and roulette is expected to the country’s AWPs have been
and amusement arcades coun- The so-called Abruzzo law in ensure that online gaming in booming. The 400,000 slots With the first online bingo
trywide. However, a key piece effect introduced a number of Italy will be a E5bn a year busi- had already generated sites going live in November
of legislation aimed at assist- new key products into the mar- ness in the next year or two. turnover of E18bn by the end of this year, and VLTs, online
ing the region of Abruzzo, hit ketplace. Firstly, video lottery 2009 itself is due to be of September, up 14 per cent casino and poker cash
by a deadly earthquake at the terminals were to be launched another record year for on the E15.7m recorded for games all due to launch in
beginning of April, led to an by the end of the year with gaming in Italy. The Super- the same period last year, and the first quarter of 2010,
even greater expansion of operators paying a one-off enalotto lottery game has per- are forecast to give an annual operators are expecting a
gaming products than could licence fee of E15,000 per formed as never before thanks figure of E24bn for 2009 bumper year although some
have been expected in a machine, and thereafter a tax to a number of E100+ against the E21.5bn for the operators may fear that
country where the Vatican still of 5 per cent on stakes. With rollovers. With turnover in whole of 2008. With only there may be some canni-
has an important influence on Magic Dreams’ MD Luca operators eagerly snapping up recent years in and around bingo, horseracing and the tra- balisation as Italy’s gam-
government policy. Gerardini the 57,000 licences available, E2bn, this year is due to show ditional Lotto product report- blers switch from existing
Italian Prime Minister Silvio the government raised over growth of over 50 per cent ing declines, whilst many games to the new products.
Berlusconi promised earth- ringing in their ears. However, E850m to be directed to recon- with figures for the period to other products are witnessing Nevertheless, with double
quake victims in the region of in a time of crisis he knew that struction work. the end of November already double digit growth, it is digit growth from the
Abruzzo that they would not the Treasury would be loath to However, the June legisla- in excess of E3bn. Spending certain that total spend on gaming sector in the last five
follow many other disaster shell out millions so he made tion also gave the green light on the game has also been gaming in Italy will top E51bn, years there seems no likeli-
victims and be left in tempo- the decision to allow the to online casino games and helped by a Win for Life an increase of seven per cent hood that it will be slowing
rary accommodation for country’s gaming operators to cash poker. With tournament variant where a large part of on the record E47.5bn regis- any time soon.
decades with broken promises offer everything they had been poker already booming - due proceeds are again directed to tered in 2008.
GamesWorld | 40 | December 2009/January 2010
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