Italy’s gaming industry is fighting major tax hikes and stifling regulations, while its amusement industry is itself calling for fairer, more proportional treatment from the authorities.

Italy

IT seems Italy’s gaming industry is forever going around in circles. Regulatory changes are announced, procedures are followed and then either these new regulations are deemed inadequate and replacements are announced, or they temporarily enable operators to develop profitable business before the government chooses to impose harsh new taxes. It has been ever thus.

Of course, successive governments have argued that regulatory changes are necessary to close loopholes being exploited by operators or to tackle the illegal actions of more unscrupulous businesses. Whether this is a deliberate attempt to defraud the treasury or merely de facto negotiation between the industry and the authorities is up for debate. 

Read the full article in the December issue of InterGame