International operators look to expand in Italy

Italy has granted 14,000 new gambling licenses since the beginning of 2007 following a European Court of Justice ruling that helped liberalize gambling market in the country, a new report has revealed.
“The Italian Gambling Market – A Forerunner in the Liberalisation of European Gambling Markets”, published by Research and Markets”, describes the EU country as potentially the most promising region in the world for gambling investors.
In fact, more than 80% of the international operators surveyed see Italy as a target for future expansion.
The MECN report identifies the European Court of Justice’s decision in the Placanica case as a turning point for the industry in Italy. It resulted in a new liberalized environment that has attracted the interest of some of the world’s leading gambling companies, including Gala/Eurobet, Intralot, Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfair.
Furthermore, many analysts predict that the Italian gambling market will experience further liberalization in the near future, making it an even more attractive prospect.
The potential profits also make happy reading for the potential investor. The Mediterranean country’s gambling market is expected to experience a 64% increase by 2010, an increase of E61bn. Not surprisingly, this potential has not gone unnoticed by the major international players and the likes of Ladbrokes are expected to have captured the significant share of the Italian gambling market by 2010.
Additionally, Italy’s lottery is one of the largest in the world and could be the source of impressive sales.
The study and survey comes on the back of extensive research that sought the insights and opinions of more than 70 international operators in the gambling industry.
The report concludes that despite the potential in the Italian market, it is not suitable for a “quick shot” and should be approached with caution following detailed research.

Casino News: International operators look to expand in Italy - report

International operators look to expand in Italy - report