(Jamma) “Concerning the Italian scandal in the slot machine sector, with a discount of 98 billion from the Italian State to the companies involved, can the Commission express its opinion on the trial in question? And how does it intend to act?” it was Matteo Salvini who asked in a loud voice (in the picture) who yesterday addressed a question to the Commission.
"Since 2002 - the MEP declares in the introduction - the Italian State has regulated the gambling sector through the telematic control system of Sogei, the Information and Communication Technology company of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, with the goal of achieving a regulated and supervised internal market in gambling.
According to a survey by Finance, some slot machine dealerships have a debt of 98 billion euros to the state. The companies in question are: Atlantis World Giocolegale limited, Snai spa, Sisal spa, Gmatica srl, Cogetech spa, Gamenet spa, Lottomatic Videolot Rete spa, Cirsa Italia srl, HbG Srl and Codere. In the first instance, the process of the Court of Auditors fined the companies only 2 and a half billion with a penalty discount of 96 billion euros (over 90%). The war on tax evasion in a sector such as gambling should be sanctioned by laws and severe fines, however this tax rebate would legitimize illegal behaviour.
Games of chance fall within the scope of Article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) and are governed by the rules on the provision of services.
The Commission identifies three public interest objectives which may be valid for Member States in terms of national gambling policy: consumer protection, public order and the financing of public interest activities.
Having regard to your recent communication entitled "Towards a comprehensive European regulatory framework for online gambling" (COM(2012)0596) and Articles 51, 52 and 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) , can the Commission give its opinion on the process in question? In view of the fact that events such as this contribute to Member States such as the Italian Republic losing significant financial resources and moving away from the objectives of reorganizing public finances, as well as from the possibility of allocating part of this revenue to fighting and preventing gambling illegal and in the treatment of ludopathy, how does it intend to act?
