The council claimed that it did not have the powers to stop it opening. The committee, although it was not convinced that no better solution could be found, then suggested limiting the gaming hall’s opening hours “to the afternoon, in view of the inconvenience created for those living over or near these premises”, and that Sisal should at least finance the running of a useful public place in the area.

Two months later, during a meeting of the local district council, the opening was announced of the “largest gaming hall in Italy”.

Local residents were baffled by the role the authorities had wanted to play in the matter.

The member of the council with responsibility for commerce had written that the requirements contained in the council regulations for safeguarding the welfare of residents – which call for certain premises to be at least 200 metres from affected sites, such as dwellings of various types – do not apply to betting halls and that no gaming hall had been authorised.

Yet Guido Alunno, the district president, confirmed that there had been negotiations with Sisal and a €25,000 one-off “compensation” payment from the gaming company, which will go toward leisure and cultural activities in the district.


Sisal has announced that the VLT hall will be open until 2am and president Alunno is accepting this, on the basis of the “guarantees” issued by Sisal for the control of gaming and betting activities, which include discouraging “excesses” on the pavement outside the hall.


Members of the committee, meanwhile, are disappointed and perhaps cursing the proposal put forward last January and immediately accepted by Sisal. €25,000 is just a drop in the ocean in comparison with the investment required to develop a gaming hall like WinCity, which Sisal opened recently in Milan.

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