Presentation of the three new coordinators of trotting, galloping, programming and proposals for the progressive alignment of taxation on horse racing betting to equalize it with other sports betting. These are two of the main topics debated at the meeting of the Horseracing Council, at the Masaf headquarters, in the presence of the minister Francesco Lollobrigida and the undersecretary Patrick La Pietra (in the picture).
With a view to consolidating and growing the horse racing management, strongly desired by the undersecretary La Pietra, the lawyer Stefano Sedia have been appointed coordinators, for the trotting races, the lawyer Mauro Lombardo for the gallop and Tamara Carla Papiccio for the national programming races, organization and management of tris races. The director of Customs and Monopolies, Mario Lollobrigida, also took part in the meeting, speaking for the first time at Masaf, concrete evidence of the agency's strong commitment to the topic of horse racing betting.
Commenting on the significant presence at the Council meeting of the representation of the Customs and Monopolies agency, Undersecretary La Pietra declared: "In terms of betting reforms, it is necessary to align the levy on fixed-odds horse racing bets, now at 45%, to that of sports and virtual betting, currently subject to a levy of 22%. We must avoid the persistence of this disparity in withdrawals compared to sports and virtual ones which pushes dealers to depress the offer of horse racing betting. To do this – continued Undersecretary La Pietra – we need to proceed with an update of the gaming regulations for horse racing betting, on which I have recorded the positive willingness of all the subjects interested in the implementation of a gradual but essential process if we want to improve the system currently in force".
Still on the subject of betting, the members of the Council discussed the possibility of creating a single totalizer. “As regards tote betting – declared Undersecretary La Pietra – we need to overcome the current model, based on two totes, partly conceived on obsolete models and technology, to create a single tote and allow management of the tote. decentralized, so as to encourage an innovative process which is not only desirable, but necessary. Also on this point we have found the Customs and Monopolies agency's willingness to collaborate."
