“The hypotheses put forward miss the opportunity for a coordinated approach. There was no market consultation, so only a few dealers will be favored. Many other operators risk not being able to survive. The reorganization must be done taking into account the best that exists in Italy in terms of measures to combat underage gambling, money laundering and problem gambling, exactly what, thanks to technology and stringent standards, can be done in remote gaming legal.
We need an organic reorganization before calling the tenders, a reorganization that expresses an overall vision of the sector. According to what has been leaked, however, the decree would provide for an exorbitant cost of concessions of 7 million euros, doubled fees and new and unjustified restrictions, such as the limit of only one website per concessionaire, in contrast with the unresolved lack of visibility, and therefore the ban on advertising, compared to illegal competitors. Furthermore, a sort of regularization of the sales and charging points (PVR) would be carried out at a cost of only €200 each, instead of launching a regular tender. The result is a confusing and logical reform framework, which reveals a mere desire to restrict the market, with serious effects on eliminating competition.
“The marked anti-competitive nature of the provision is evident, as it envisages a competitive reorganization of the sector with a disproportionate and unjustified increase in the cost of concessions, 35 times higher than the previous tender in 2018, which from our analysis is unprecedented on the global scene. This would cut out 65-75 current dealers, leaving around fifteen remaining. A drastic cut that puts many companies and their employees in serious danger. Principles of free competition are referred to in the premises of the text, only to be trampled upon with rules that favor an oligopoly, expelling the vast majority of current dealers from the legal perimeter, without however guaranteeing the visibility of dealers operating on the legal circuit".
This is what he said Moreno Marasco, president of LoGICO, during the press conference "Game: one market, one reorganization" which was held today, 13 December 2023, in the Chamber.
