2024 had already everything to be considered a milestone year in the history of the Italian gambling industry having Lottomatica completed the purchase of SKS365 for €639 million and the entering into force of the much-awaited reform of the licensing system and its implementation when it will be applied for the first time at the end of the year to assign new licences.

Nonetheless, just recently, during a period which is traditionally considered quiet for the Italian economy in general, it has been announced that Flutter Entertainment plc is in advanced talks with Playtech plc about the purchase of Snaitech for a sum of £2 billion.

With this acquisition, Flutter, already owner of Sisal, other main player on the Italian gaming market purchased in 2022, would see its position rise and consolidate in all those areas where it operates: from retail to remote betting, from online casino games to slots machines and VLTs, almost closing the gap with the abovementioned Lottomatica.

At the moment Playtech has granted Flutter an exclusivity period to carry out the required due diligence. Once this is concluded, negotiations will continue although issues may rise from the Italian competition authority due to the prominence of both the involved parties.

A strong increase in the value of the shares of both companies, demonstrates investors optimism for a successful conclusion of the deal.

Want to know more how the gaming industry works in Italy or in other jurisdictions? Speak to Lawrence Marchese (lawrence@chevron.group), Nikolas Lotz (nikolas@chevron.group), Kurt Laferla (kurt@chevron.group) and Thees Buschmann (thees@chevron.group) from Chevron Group. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry related news.

Quelle: Chevron Consultants