“The Agency is very clear that it is necessary to balance two conceptually opposing interests, on the one hand the protection of health and on the other the recognition of the subject of public gaming for the purposes of tax revenue. All tools will be aimed at achieving this reconciliation. With regard to the 7 million euros to participate in the online gaming tender, it should be noted that the Agency took into account both the known market data regarding the actual profitability of the online gaming concessions active today, and the consequent possibility of a reduction in the total number of active concessions, the latter possibility having its own added value. The online gaming sector, in fact, now requires very substantial investments, which only solid and structured entrepreneurship can afford. It is estimated that despite the one-off increase, the profitability of the concession will allow the issuance of approximately 50 concessions, with consequent acquisition of approximately 350 million euros in revenue, of which approximately 200 million at the time of award and 150 million upon the act of actual assumption of the service by the successful tenderer. The estimate was made on a prudential basis in order to quantify the increased revenue deriving from the entry into force of the legislative decree. The one-off amortization of 7 million over the 9 years of the concession, combined with the concession fee, would have an impact on the net margin of approximately 3,2% per year for the largest operator, up to 5% per year for around 20 operators, reaching 10% per year only for very small operators and reaching 30% of the annual net margin for the current fiftieth operator by collection. The estimate was made on the compensation relating to the year 2022, with a market that in the meantime has grown by 13% on an annual basis. With the possible reduction of the one-off payment to 3,5 million euros, the overall revenue would remain unchanged only if the successful tenderers were 100, i.e. even more than the current concessionaires. Furthermore, if the one-off payment were reduced to 3,5 million euros, using the same estimation methodology, it is assumed that approximately 55 operators could participate in the tender. A further reduction in the one-off fee to 2,5 million would bring the number of operators to 56. The reduction in the one-off fee would therefore not lead to a significant increase in the number of operators involved, but would rather lead to a decrease in tax revenue. The income could in fact be halved in the case of the one-off payment of 3,5 million and drop by 60% in the case of the one-off payment set at 2,5 million euros. The assessments carried out by the Agency are exclusively technical and are based on the one hand on the financial data available and on the other on the actual need to manage a market that is made up of reliable operators, capable of offering financial solidity and acting as anti-money laundering safeguards. and health protection".
Said the director general of the ADM, Robert Alesse (in the photo), answering some questions on the online gaming reorganization decree during his hearing in the Senate Finance Committee.
“The inclusion of the rule relating to race of Lotto in the legislative decree on gaming - added Alesse - it is appropriate in consideration of the expiry of the existing concession set for 30 November 2025, and the consequent need to promptly start the preparation of the tender documents".
Finally, regarding the online poker, Alesse spoke about international liquidity and the agreement that the Agency had signed with the gaming regulatory authorities with remote participation of France, Spain and Portugal: “Given that there is a fear of the risk that gaming liquidity open between four countries could become an instrument of transnational money laundering, the agreement was then blocked by the Agency and was never implemented. According to our assessments, this new gaming method would not lead to significant increases in tax revenue and on the contrary could entail a serious risk of money laundering".
