At the end of June this year, following the uproar caused by a legal inquiry into the leading protagonists of the gaming system on offer in Italy, the government appointed a Commission of Enquiry formed by leading representatives from the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The Commission of Enquiry, chaired by Alfiero Grandi, who has subsequently been appointed undersecretary in the Ministry of Economy and Finance with responsibility for gaming, began meeting representatives in November from the various associations of operators of automatic gaming systems, dealers and managers of NewSlot on the internet.
On the morning of November 10, at the Ministry of Finance in Rome, the gaming commission met with the Italian Association of Gaming Machine Manufacturers (ACMI), represented by its President, Massimo Cavazza, and Gennaro Parlati, who is in charge of institutional relations. The meeting, prompted by calls from Cavazza, resulted in a constructive and vital discussion for the future of the sector thanks to the helpfulness of members of the commission. On November 20, a SAPAR (Italian Association of Public Entertainment Machine Operators) delegation, headed by its President Paolo Dalla Pria and vice-president Eugenio Bernardi, was heard by the Commission of Enquiry.
In a relaxed and collaborative atmosphere, the representatives from SAPAR answered several questions formulated by members of the commission, in order to provide a clearer picture of the situation regarding the amusement machine industry. In particular, they discussed the operation and effectiveness of internet providers, in an attempt to identify what had delayed the start of the internet service, and then went on to examine problems inherent in the block on counterparts to the Comma 6 and 7 machines. SAPAR asked for a further extension in order to use NewSlot1 machines, if the current network is not able to provide a full-time connection and therefore, the necessary working conditions for the introduction of the new generation of slot machines.
The succession of operators’ associations continued with Italian Association of Retail Managers of Automatic Machines (AGesA), represented in the commission by the President Pietro Murč, who clearly stated the difficult position in which the manager is placed, not only from a financial point of view but also due to his subordinate position (third collector) which he is assigned because of the current regulations with regard to the other subject in the chain – the dealer. On November 20, the Commission of Enquiry met the internet managers.
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