Betsson are ‘ready’ for their next phase after passing the first stage of Italy’s new gambling regime as one of 46 operator applicants.

During July, Italy’s Ministry of Economy (MEF) has secured 46 applications for new online gambling licences, including the Swedish betting company, as the country looks to develop a whole new landscape for gambling.

Those applicants include industry giants such as Lottomatica, Flutter, IGT, Novomatic, Eurobet, Betpoint, Netwin, NTS, Microgame, Stake, DAZN Bet, Marathonbet, E-Play24/Cirsa, Winamax, and Evoke (which operates William Hill and 888). Also applying are Betsson, bet365, Stanleybet, and MGM-owned LeoVegas.

In what is set to be a rich area of potential growth for all involved, the onus is on these companies to be ready to utilise their new platform from the off. A clear focus on finalising platform integration, meet stricter data security standards, and provide substantial financial guarantees will be key in this key industry transition.

Betsson’s Corinne Valletta, General Counsel at Betsson Group, spoke after the company’s achievement of three ISO certifications and two independent assessments in Italy.

“While the audit was conducted for our Italian operations, the values underpinning these standards, from quality and environmental care to diversity and social responsibility, are deeply embedded across Betsson Group.”

The company stated their intent to continue to thrive, citing the focus on the next phase. “Betsson Group continues to embed responsible practices across all areas of its business,” the company stated.

“With a presence in over 25 markets and a strong focus on regulatory compliance, ESG and customer experience, we are prepared for the next phase.”

Flutter eyes gambling dominance in Italy

Outside of Betsson, all of the other 45 companies will be eyeing success in this new region and Flutter Entertainment are hoping to hit the ground running, citing its intent to dominate Italy’s new online gambling market, by upgrading Sisal’s iGaming offering with Tombola games and utilities.

Focusing on Tombola, the gambling giant is using the country for the first ever partnership involving the Tombola brand and Sisal, its first asset in the Italian market and a long-standing market leader in the country which was acquired in 2021.

“This is a hugely exciting moment for Tombola, as we take the next step in our evolution and bring our award-winning bingo product to Sisal’s players in Italy,” added Marion Ryan, Managing Director at Tombola.

“The ability to seamlessly integrate and scale our platform for future partnerships represents a fantastic opportunity for Flutter to transform the bingo proposition, both within our existing markets and beyond.”