IGT claims Lottoitalia named ‘preferred bidder’ for Italian lottery licence
The Italian regulator still needs to sign off on the decision, which would extend Interactive Game Technology’s long tenure operating the main Italian lottery for another nine years.
Italy.- Interactive Game Technology (IGT) says it has been awarded a new nine-year licence to run Italy’s main lottery. While the Italian regulator, the ADM, appears to still need to sign off on the decision, IGT announced at its Investor Summit that its Lottoitalia consortium has been named the preferred bidder. The consortium also includes Arianna 2001, Novomatic and Allwyn.
Executive chairman Marco Sala said he was confident the Judging Commission favoured the consortium’s bid and that a formal announcement would be forthcoming within 35 days. Confirmation would extend the incumbent’s tenure. IGT and its previous guises have run the lottery since 1993.
He said: “The Italian Lotto concession is among the world’s most significant lottery contracts. IGT and its predecessor companies have successfully managed the licence for over 30 years, constantly driving innovation and integrating cutting-edge technology. This award is highly gratifying, and we are honored and excited to continue collaborating with ADM for the next nine years.”
Lottoitalia offered €2.23bn for the licence. This would be paid in three instalments: €500m and €300m in 2025 and €1.43bn in 2026. Allwyn has said that it would contribute a pro rata 32.5 per cent share of the licence fee.
The lottery has over €8bn in annual ticket sales and has generated around €15bn to the state over the period of the last nine-year licence.
Allwyn CEO Robert Chvatal said: “We’re thrilled to continue our strong partnership with IGT in Italy for another nine years. We’re pleased that Allwyn’s contribution to the consortium, including our proven record of modernising and expanding lotteries across Europe, will further support IGT’s exemplary management of this important national asset.
“We look forward to working together to develop the Italian Lotto while introducing innovative solutions to promote responsible gaming.”
If the ADM does approve the Lottoitalia bid, it will set back Flutter’s bid to dominate Italy’s gambling sector. Superenalotto operator Sisal, which Flutter bought back in 2021, had hoped to wrestle the main lottery licence away from IGT. However, Flutter’s expansion in Italy through its acquisition of Snaitech, may have raised concerns about competition. Snaitech is the third-biggest gambling operator in Italy by market share, and the acquisition makes Flutter the market leader with a 30 per cent market share.
