Italy

Lottomatica SPA has informed the Borsa Milan that it has settled on terms to acquire SKS365 Malta, the operating company behind the PlanetWin365 (sportsbook) and PlanetPay365 (arcade) brands, for an enterprise value of €639m. The acquisition, confirmed today, means that Lottomatica SPA is set to become the outright largest omnichannel gambling group in the Italian market.  Lottomatica’s deal entails taking …

Lottomatica Group  asserts it is set to achieve all primary goals set for its re-listing on the Borsa Milan by May 2023. Publishing its year-to-date trading results for the initial nine months of 2023, Lottomatica reported gross gambling revenue (GGR) of €2.8bn, showing a 7% pro-forma growth across all fundamental business segments. The rise in the headline GGR mirrors a …

Sweeping changes loom on the horizon for Italy’s online gambling sector, as the Ministry of the Economy and Finance (MEF) is set to publish a preliminary decree of amendments and resolutions.  Of significance, the MEF’s decree will demand the government review Italy’s existing online gambling laws, marking the sector’s first regulatory evaluation since the authorisation of online gambling in 2011. …

Sian Carson has been appointed as the new Chief People Officer of Sisal, one of Flutter Entertainment’s international operator brands. Carson is set to lead the group’s human resources and organisational design division with the goal of strengthening its expansion process in Italy and abroad. The new hire said that she was ‘proud’ to join the firm, adding: “I am …

The European Gaming & Betting Association (EGBA) is monitoring developments related to Italy’s online gambling marketplace being impacted by black market activities. Concerns follow a recent investigation by La Gazzetta dello Sport, which documented that the total Italian wagers placed on the black market (land-based and online) are estimated at €25bn per year. The report cited that of the estimated …

StarCasinò Sport has signed a two-year sponsorship of ACR Messina, as the betting firm makes its debut in Serie C Lega Pro. The Betsson Group-owned brand aims to expand its footprint across multiple levels of Italian sports, as it is set to appear on the Biancoscudati team kit for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 football seasons.  Stefano Tino, Managing Director of …

Recognised as the most stable and ever-present business segment in global gambling, 2023 has seen the lottery sector undergo a tectonic shift in its competitive makeup. A playfield reserved for giants has evolved. Across European markets, lottery operators have emerged from a period of profound reflection, prompted by changing consumer demands after two years of pandemic-induced adjustments. Consequently, new perspectives …

Given the high profile attention that unexpected player transfer stories gained in international media, it could be taken as a guarantee that these movements would also influence bettor behaviour. Alexander Martin, CEO of SKS365, observed at the SBC Summit Barcelona that when Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Juventus in 2018, a large number of Italian fans began to bet on the …

Playtech Plc has confirmed news reports that it has entered discussions to acquire SKSMalta, the operating firm of Italian bookmaker PlanetWin365. This afternoon, Sky News reported Playtech and FTSE counterpart Flutter Entertainment as suitors to acquire PlanetWin365 outright. Italy is recognised as a key growth marketplace for both companies that have established their presence in the country via M&A. In …

Betsson Group’s StarCasino Sport entertainment brand has strengthened its links to Italian football by securing an extension to its partnership with Lega Serie B (LNPB). StarCasino Sport’s collaboration with Italian football’s second division will continue for the remainder of the 2023/24 season, building on pre-existing partnership inked for the 2022/23 campaign. The partnership secures the international betting and gaming group …