Cardia (Acadi): “Sector reorganization cannot ignore the protection of the generalist network”
11,2 billion euros in revenue into state coffers in 2022; 10,2 billion, equal to approximately 91%, that generated by retail. Beyond 65 thousand companies in the supply chain who employ 150mila people. A network throughout the national territory that counts beyond 85 thousand retail outlets, of which well 75 thousand belonging to the generalist network: 41 thousand between bars and public establishments and 34.500 between tobacconists and bookshops. There are 53.500 points of sale where the devices are present, of which approx 49 thousand from the generalist network which cover over 6 thousand Italian municipalities.
These are the main numbers of the public gaming sector in Italy, which emerged today during the Forum "The public game takes on the challenge of sustainabilityà" promoted by Acadi, l'association of public gaming concessionaires. During the Forum, which took place in Rome at the headquarters of Confcommercio, the 2022 Sustainability Report of the sector was presented and the state of the art and the future of the entire sector were taken stock of the state of the art and the future of the entire sector with professionals and institutions.
To open the works, the president of Confcommercio-Imprese for l'Italy, Carlo Sangalli.
Geronimo Cardia, president of Acadi, "there was a need to make a sustainability assessment of the public gaming sector because we are convinced that the tools and checks of the ESG indices highlight the strategic role of the sector for the country even more. The data clearly states that the terrestrial distribution network of generalist businesses (bars and tobacconists, for example) is the protagonist among other networks in allowing the pursuit of the constitutional interests underlying the existence of the public gaming offer". "Reduce, compress, limit or in some way directly or indirectly penalize its presence today rooted in the territories - Cardia added– it means compromising the constitutional interests of protecting the user's health and public faith (realized with a measured offer controlled by the State and managed by expert operators), the protection of public order in the territories, such as the prevention of money laundering proceeds of criminal activities, of the tax revenue which is emerging and of the employment guaranteed to date in every part of Italy".
Also participating in the discussion on the future of the sector were the Undersecretary of the Economy, Lucia Albano; the Games director of the Customs and Monopolies Agency, Mario Lollobrigida; the president of the Finance Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, Marco Osnato; the commander of the Special Unit of Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry of the Financial Police, Claudio Ramponi; the director of the Territorial Control Service of the Central Anti-Crime Directorate of the State Police, Vincenzo Nicolì; the deputy president of the Court of Auditors, Thomas Honey.
For president of Fipe (Italian Federation of public businesses), Lino Stoppani, “Proximity bars are especially at riskà, those in which the game è entertainment, with small win machines, betting corners, top-up services for online gaming. Looking only at public establishments, their number is è reduced by a third between 2017 and today. AND' It is necessary to return to a concerted agreement between the State and Autonomies on the correct distribution of exercises to defend legalityà, health and economy. To maintain and further improve this qualityà we ask for the right legislative attention to government and parliamentary institutions, national and territorial, to make gambling only entertainment and less and less a field for criminal management or exploitation of the addictions of weak subjects".
"The protection of the physical network è essential. AND' under everyone's eyes that the reorganization must start from the physical network, which è the one that accuses the most'current regulatory chaos, and which for too long has been clamoring for essential interventions for its survival and growth, including primarily the resolution of the territorial question. The protection of physical play also means protection of the game 'legal', and how alreadyà highlighted, l'pi weaponù powerful to fight the irregular one, which fattens the mafias and crimeà organized", he has declared Mario Antonelli, president of Fit (Italian Tobacconists Federation).
"Today the measures necessary for the reorganization of the sector have clearly emerged. We appreciate the unity of purpose between our association and the institutions that deal with these issues, starting with the Customs and Monopolies agency", he added Geronimo Cardia, "It is clear which levers of impact are most relevant. The contribution in terms of taxation, social security, employment, GDP but also of safeguarding the legality of the territories in terms of the protection of health, savings and public order is there for all to see. Any reform, therefore, cannot ignore all this. We are convinced that the institutions are also clear that a good reform is one that does not even indirectly undermine the constitutional interests guaranteed largely by the generalist network well represented in Confcommercio", He concluded.
