Once again, someone has attempted to use that standard to wipe out an industry that employs thousands of entrepreneurs and that, irrespective of what happened in the past, would now have represented a victory for someone who is attempting to limit the market to a “few close friends”, as happened in the public games industry for quite some time in the past. “Moreover, I feel that I am sufficiently cynical to understand that it can’t just be a chance event when every scandal that hits our industry always seems to be accompanied by a regulatory proposal aimed at handing over entertainment equipment management to a few operators and restricting games availability to a few “designated” areas. “The well-known Potenza investigation was held only a year ago, and was immediately followed up by the Bersani decree, which resulted in the creation of games points and games corners. Now there is the Venice investigation and, as luck would have it, a new “incursion” into the same old facts, and yet another attempt to oust the management figure.” “I feel that the time has come to change our approach. Our industry’s importance, in economic terms, means that we simply cannot continue to act as if we are alone, which is to say simply to talk among ourselves, to congratulate ourselves on our little victories, and to content ourselves with the little attention that is given to us (being used to being met with indifference), while others demonstrate their economic strength, their political power and their influence to act at the highest levels. “I submitted my resignation as president of one of the industry associations just a year ago because I realised that the time had come to hand the association over to someone that would be able to fulfil the role of professional association representative. Now I am saying that even that is not enough, not when other realities associated with representation are taken into account. We now need to be able to intervene upstream, to pre-empt similar incursions, to have someone in place who can “do politics” when that is what is required. “We need to be able to anticipate, before interventions that are made “to provide help” are no longer effective. This is the only way that we can hope to continue to protect our activities and our businesses,” Negro concludes. ITALIAN CASINOS NEED TO UNIFY NATIONAL STANDARDS WITH EU STANDARDS During the course of the procedure to examine the framework legislative decree that will implement directive 2005/60/CE and that is intended to stop the financial system from being used for recycling purposes, Cesare Campa, a Forza Italia Member of Parliament, informed the Chamber of certain issues relating to application of anti-recycling requirements to casinos, as endorsed by article 24 of the framework legislative decree under examination. As such, he began by stressing that Italian casinos are generally defined as organisations through which the local authorities that own them exercise a particular type of tax control, and via which a private wealth tax is levied in order to meet public needs. The revenues that are generated by managing the casinos are, to all intents and purposes, in fact considered from their very inception as being of a public affairs nature, in accordance with article 19 of decree / law no. 318 dated 1986. And evaluation of the figures for certain local authorities, such as the Municipality of Venice for instance, has resulted in Campa noting the significant value of the revenues generated as a consequence of managing the casino that is located in that particular city; revenues that are used to finance a whole raft of services that the Local Authority provides to their citizens. Moving on to the standard itself, he highlighted how directive 2005/60/CE, which is implemented by the framework legislative decree that is under examination, draws a clear distinction, in article 10, between casinos in general and “casinos that are subject to public control”. For the latter, he then goes on to anticipate a discharging of identification requirements in favour of registration, identification and customer identity checks as soon as customers enter the casino and irrespective of the amount of chips bought or sold. On this point he stressed the need for faithful adoption of the European directive, given that Italian casinos are located close to the Italian border, and that as such they are significantly exposed to the effects of strong competition from the gambling industries that are located in neighbouring countries. 50% OF ITALIAN AWPs SUBJECT TO SEQUESTRATION The preventative confiscation procedures are underway involving more than 100,000 newslots all over Italy. “We are abiding by the provisions we have received from our Venetian colleagues,” the agents involved in the verification operations explain, thereby confirming the direct link with the Mirano HQ and with the Venetian Provincial HQ. Colonel Giulio Piller, provincial commander of the Venetian Finance Police provided details of the investigation that the men under Captain Fabrizio Musci from the Mirano Company have carried out, confirming that the desire “is not to ban this type of pastime, but rather to ensure that standards protecting players in primis are enforced.” ADMIRAL OPENS IN ITALY Admiral, the leading European sports betting company that has a total of 180 premises located throughout Europe, has decided to open its first Italian premises in Trento, where it will invest more than two million Euros. “We would like this to be the first in a long chain,” states the manager Erwin Kaufmann, “and we know that our particular qualities of beauty, fairness and security will be appreciated.” The following question may well spring to mind: does that mean that everyone in Trento likes a flutter? Was the choice of Trento an inspired one by Admiral, or was it chosen merely by chance? We may not yet have reached the situation that exists in England, where people seem to bet on almost anything (do you remember the case of Wayne Rooney’s uncle, who four years ago, when Rooney was still a relative unknown, bet that his promising nephew would participate in the World Cup in Germany?), but it does seem that people in Trento do like a flutter. NEWSLOT: AGGE SARDEGNA GETS ORGANISED FOR THE COMPENSATION CASE The A.G.G.E. Sardegna shareholders’ meeting was held at “Su Cantaru” in Ghilarza before a house intended for major events and supported, on this occasion, by the barristers Giuseppe Bassu from the Sassari law court and Maurizio Piras from the Cagliari law court. The barristers described clear procedures and potential initiatives that could be undertaken on behalf of the collector Third Parties/Managers, whose equipment, which is located in public establishments, has been shut down as a result of the criminal preventative sequestration order. Their agreed view at this time is that it is a good idea for the association to focus on and to co-ordinate the legal compensation suit to recover all the damages incurred and sub-organisations that might benefit from them, and to do everything possible for the others down the line. The Cagliari association representation point, in the form of shareholder Beppe Sassu and the regional secretary’s office, depending on territorial jurisdiction, are available to members for collection and sorting of the relevant files. Nannicini defends his resolution Rolando Nannicini, Ulivista MP and former mayor of Montevarchi in Tuscany, is the parliamentarian behind a resolution which is now under scrutiny. The resolution that was submitted and approved on the 26 July last and which seems to herald an amicable outcome to the Euros 98 billion suit. “The resolution forces the government to review the agreement with the licensees, but at some point in the future. The one the previous government drafted was real mess. We cannot go on like this,” he says. “There is no chance of a political solution as far as the past is concerned; I have explained this to the licensees, as well. Let’s see what come out of the Audit Court investigation… And I also have some misgivings about just how the Audit Court operates; statistics indicate that it only manages to collect a maximum of three euro for every 100 that it demands. I prefer to confiscate four or five billion “safe” euro, as that will at least cover the insufficient funds.” “And anyway, I’m not the one wiping things clean and attempting to forget about them, remember. Let’s see how the investigation goes.” He continues, “Let me explain what happened. Some Members of Parliament were pushing for changes, which would effectively have been an attempt to wipe things clean and forget about them. So it was cancelled, and as such only the original wording is valid.” When asked whether he submitted the resolution alone, he adds, “Yes, but I did talk to the Ulivo group. To under-secretary Alfiero Grandi, to Francesco Tolotti, vice-president of the Finance Committee...” “I only saw deputy-minister Visco afterwards, I think. But Sernicola (Giovanni, close associate of Vincenzo Visco and president of Nens, a political association established by Visco and by his government colleague, Pierluigi Bersani, editorial note) always pays us a visit on his behalf.” Nannicini was chosen for the task because he is a mathematician; “I enjoy it and am interested in statistics, numbers and repetition. Are you aware… are you aware of the fact that slot machines offer the player more advantages than the lottery?” “Many entrepreneurs have invested a great deal and have worked very hard indeed and are now very worried about the turn that certain events have taken. I understand their concern. I’m a left-winger, but do understand and have respect for serious entrepreneurs.” Nannicini believes that the solution to the problem is as follows: “That Sogei (the general data company which should check that the slots are connected to the control network, editorial note) comes to its senses. And a new agreement is needed: one that is clearer and less patchy in nature. And I’d go further still: to the best of my knowledge one is already being drafted and will be submitted to the State Bar next week for comment.”

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