Conferences in Europe
Online Gambling in Italy, Quirino Mancini (Tonucci & Partners) shares insights in an exclusive interview
Just last week the Italian gaming news agency Agimeg reported that Italy’s gambling regulator had so far received “less than 10 applications” for the new licenses, which cover mostly all gambling activities – sports and race betting, casino, poker, exchange betting, virtual sports, etc.
The licenses cost €200k apiece and are valid through 2022. Applicants must already hold an online gambling license in a European Union member state and boast annual turnover of at least €1.5m over the past two years. If applicants can’t meet these standards, they have to put up an additional €1.5m bank guarantee.
My latest interviewee is among the leading lawyers in Italy. Quirino Mancini is Partner and Global Head of Gaming & Gambling Practice at Tonucci & Partners.
Thank you for accepting this interview. My first question would be what are your expectations from the call for bids from online gaming operators? How will this change the Italian gaming industry?
Quirino: Judging by the first enquiries I have gathered since the announcement of the new licence tender, it would seem that notwithstanding the Italian market is already packed, there still are operators willing to enter it. This applies not only to B2C operators but to B2B ones too, even though unlike, most European regulated markets, the Italian licensing model does not require B2B operators to hold a local licence in order to offer their services, so if the trend is confirmed I reckon the Italian market will be somewhat re-shaped as a result of the advent of the “hybrid” operators (B2C+B2B).
The launch of the bidding process was expected much earlier. What hindered the launch, and does this have any effect on the process of bidding?
Quirino: The only reason for an otherwise inexplicable delay in calling the remote gaming licences tender is the quite populistic and very often ill-informed political pressure, notably across the whole parliamentary board, to restrict the gaming offer. Unfortunately the local gaming industry has so far proven unable to pull their acts together in terms of putting together a consistent, coordinated and effective effort to somehow redress the mounting wave of discredit and bias thrown at operators who are fully legal, legitimate, licensed and do pay taxes in Italy as if instead they were a bunch of offshore-based pirates ripping and abusing the poor Italian consumers.
There are several online gambling licenses which have already entered the Italian iGaming market and now only require the renewal of their licenses. My question is what is your opinion how difficult this process will be for the rest of the applicants?
Quirino: The licence tender process is all but difficult provided the prospective applicants duly meet the eligibility requirements and take timely action filing-wise. The real challenges for them, once licensed, are (i) going live in less than one full year bearing in mind the many technical peculiarities and specificities of the Italian remote gaming model that notably entails a 24/7 connection of the operator’s servers with the central control system ran by the regulator, (ii) having a good product fit and also customised for the local players, and (iii) having a clear vision for an effective and creative marketing strategy.
The delay in the online gaming licensing might have had an effect on the shared online poker liquidity agreement signed by Italy as well. What is your opinion regarding this problem?
Quirino: I believe that when it comes to shared international liquidity, the more newcomer operators join the party, the better it is for the players in terms of creating a sufficiently large pool.
It has recently been announced that Italy will not join the official start of the project. Will you, please share your ideas related to this issue?
Quirino: On 4 March 2018 general elections will be held in Italy. As already mentioned in a previous reply, at this time there definitely is too much focus, bias, propaganda, mis-information and pressure surrounding the gaming business for any sensible politician to want to be seen as the one who facilitated the offer of more gaming services to Italians, and because regulators take instructions and directions from the government and the parliament, you may easily figure out the rest of the story
To meet Quirino in person, make sure you register and attend Prague Gaming Summit 2018, held on the 29th of March at Andel’s by Vienna House Prague.
Interviewee profile:
Quirino Mancini is the global head of the gaming and gambling practice at Tonucci & Partners(www.tonucci.com), a top-ten Italian general practice firm with offices in Rome, Milan, Brescia, Padua, Florence, Tirana, Bucharest and Belgrad.
Quirino is one of the leading Italian gaming and gambling lawyers with a specialist practice of almost 20 years. He acts for Italian and foreign-based online and land-based companies operating in the Italian gaming market, advising them on legal, licensing, regulatory, day-to-day compliance and any other operational aspects connected to their activities. He also runs a bespoke matchmaking and business strategy service to provide clients with a customised type of assistance that includes also introduction and facilitation of dealings with the local regulatory authorities, banks as well as scouting and suitability checks on potential business partners.
Quirino is a regular speaker at most international gaming conferences and sits in the editorial board of various sector reviews and magazines.
Co-founder and editor of www.gaminglaw.eu, a pan-European information and commentary portal focusing on legal and regulatory issues under European and national gaming laws.
Secretary and fellow member of the Leadership Committee of the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), a worldwide organisation gathering regulators, lawyers and advisors, in-house counsels and educators engaged in the gaming business. Fellow member of the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA)
Conferences in Europe
Soft2Bet celebrates a year of growth and innovation at SiGMA Malta Europe 2024
Soft2Bet is set to make a major impact at SiGMA Malta Europe, focusing on MEGA, turnkey solutions and key speaking engagements from senior executives from 12-14 November.
Soft2Bet, the iGaming industry’s leading turnkey solutions provider, is gearing up to unveil a new format for its MEGA Workshop during 4 closed sessions on 12 and 13 November at SiGMA Malta Europe. After a highly successful MEGA Workshop experience at the SBC Summit Lisbon for more than 250 visitors, Soft2Bet intends to showcase how its solution drives engagement, activity and revenues for Soft2Bet and its B2B partners.
Turnkey solutions and new launches driving growth
Soft2Bet will also unveil its latest turnkey solution, newly-launched gaming engines and casino solutions that are delivering impressive results for partners as they increase player engagement, retention and drive revenue growth in the most competitive iGaming markets. As Soft2Bet continues to expand into new markets, it will provide exclusive insights into its recently-launched partnerships and brands.
Product focus
The Soft2Bet MEGA workshop will also demonstrate how MEGA seamlessly integrates as a standalone solution through an API, providing the best UX to its players, ensuring quick and efficient deployment for operators looking to elevate their platforms.
The results of these efforts speak for themselves, with the group’s Scandinavian brand Betinia reporting strong growth in Q3 2024.
- Denmark: active player numbers increased 129%, deposits increased 213% and GGR climbed 200%.
- Sweden: active player numbers increased 85%, deposits increased 129% and GGR climbed 58%.
Soft2Bet SiGMA Speakers
Soft2Bet’s founder and CEO, Uri Poliavich, will deliver an exclusive Keynote on 12 November at 11:45 where he will update the market on his latest insights.
Senior executives will be joining key industry panels:
- David Yatom Hay, General Counsel, will join a panel discussing the future of player protections in light of potential advertising bans in Northern Europe.
- Yoel Zuckerberg, Chief Product Officer, will lead a discussion on using collectables to enhance loyalty programmes and increase player retention.
Expansion and growth
Soft2Bet is rapidly expanding and holds more than 13 licences across nine different jurisdictions, while launches in Romania (Don.ro) and Ontario, Canada (Tooniebet), and upcoming expansions into Mexico, Greece and Nigeria demonstrate the company’s continued focus on growing its commercial and regulatory footprint.
Conferences in Europe
SiGMA Europe Summit Alert
Endorphina is a B2B online slots provider based in Prague, Czech Republic. Up and running since 2012, we operate under the Malta License MGA and release at least 12 thrilling slots every year. In total, we have developed 90 games, including the popular over the world Golden Ox slot machines, Chance Machine 20, 2020 Hit slot, The Rise of AI, 100 Zombies, Buffalo 50, and many more. When it comes to fairness, Endorphina is known to be rigorously tested in 2019 by Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) to ensure consistent and proven behavior and mathematics.
Endorphina Slot Games
Endorphina games are executed in perfect modern graphics, with original music, thoughtful game elements and a set of exciting features, which make them stand out from the competition. There is a theme crafted for everyone, from old-time classic fruity slots to cultural highlights and to modern themes to keep up with the times. High rollers and beginners will find their favorite games with us at Endorphina. We’ve established ourselves on the market all games can be played on both desktops and mobile devices.
A 2020 wrap-up
In 2020, Endorphina has released 18 catchy games that have successfully caught the attention of users worldwide. As we usually release 12 games each year, 2020 was definitely a highlight as we released 6 more! More than 1,000 online casinos currently house Endorphina games and we have over 50 new affiliates around the world and counting.
As we put forth new games every month, we also love expanding and entering new markets. This past year in 2020, we entered the markets of Romania, Croatia, and Belarus. In the first quarter of 2021, we have successfully partnered with over 75 online casinos worldwide.
Main growth indicators
When it comes to growth overall in 2020, we’ve noticed an increase in Total Bets made by our players in euros (including Q1 of 2021).
There was also a handful of spin gains (total number of spins) as a percentage for the last year (including Q1 2021).
Conferences in Europe
Almost 200 Participants Grace European Gaming Congress 2024, as Organizers Already Plan Warsaw Return
HIPTHER, organizer of the European Gaming Congress (EGC) and other renowned GameTech boutique conferences, is thrilled to announce the triumphant success of EGC 2024 and the exciting news of the conference’s return to Warsaw in 2025.
Building on the momentum from its 2023 edition, European Gaming Congress 2024 expanded its program into a multi-faceted, 2-day agenda packed with learning and networking opportunities. Attendance more than doubled to nearly 200 delegates, and all exhibitor spaces sold out.
EGC 2024 brought together the vibrant Polish iGaming market and the broader European GameTech industry for a series of insightful panels, unique networking opportunities, and unforgettable moments. The event educated and connected delegates in a meaningful and constructive way.
Distinguished experts from iGaming, Compliance, Technology, Blockchain, Fintech, Marketing, and Human Capital Management took the stage, offering invaluable insights and hosting workshops on the latest trends and strategies for business growth and success.
In an innovative move to validate expertise and reward continuous learning, all attendees were awarded a Certificate of Professional Distinction for their successful participation in the European Gaming Congress 2024.
One of the event’s highlights was the prestigious European iGaming Excellence Awards 2024, celebrating the best companies and brightest professionals in the European iGaming industry, as voted by their peers. And the winners are:
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Promatic Group
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Gaming Laboratories International, LLC
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: CoinsPaid
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Miss Joker Show (by Promatic Group)
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: SOFTSWISS Managed Services
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Evoplay (Adrenaline Rush)
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Mindway AI
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Evoplay
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Promatic Group
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Evoplay
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: ICONIC21
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: N1 Partners Group
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: DATA.BET
🏆 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: SOFTSWISS
🏆 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Xanada Investments
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Superbet
🏆 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Ivan Montik, Founder at SOFTSWISS
🏆 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Gal Ehrlich, CEO at BETER
🏆 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay
🏆 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Valentina Bagniya, CMO at SOFTSWISS
🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Aleksandra Mouton, CEO at Amarix
The illustrious event was Sponsored by top-tier companies, including:
- Promatic Games by Promatic Group – Platinum & Welcome Meet Sponsor
- Xanada Investments – Main Stage Sponsor
- BET – Badge, Bracelet and Networking Break Sponsor
- NSoft – Pen and Paper Sponsor
- Nordic Gambling – Scandinavian Legal Expertise Sponsor
- RM Legal – General Sponsor
- Gaming In Poland – General Sponsor
- Zondacrypto – Selfie Mirror Sponsor
- Superbet – General Sponsor
- LV Bet – General Sponsor
- PIGBRiB – General Sponsor
The European Gaming Congress has been warmly embraced by both the Polish gaming market and the wider European iGaming industry, solidifying its status as a must-attend event and key meeting point for the industry.
Zoltan Tuendik, Co-Founder & Head of Business at HIPTHER, commented: “We are thrilled with the incredible success of the European Gaming Congress 2024, and we are grateful to our esteemed sponsors, participants, and the remarkable Polish Gaming Community who made it possible. We’re excited to announce our return to Warsaw for another year, but stay tuned – we have a few surprises in the works for the years ahead!”.
The #hipthers team is already planning the grand return of the European Gaming Congress to Warsaw in mid-to-late October 2025. Stay tuned for more, and we’ll see you in Warsaw!
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