One of Italy's leading casinos has expressed concern over the impact the roll-out of thousands of video lottery terminals will have on the market.
In an interview with InterGaming, Luc Frigerio, director at Casino de la Vallee in the north of Italy, said the changes to the gambling market could have a detrimental effect on the country’s four casinos.
"It is not only the economic downturn that has affected the market in Italy in recent years, but also the large liberalisation of the gaming offer provided by the Italian government," he said. "Italian casinos have had and are continuing to face new and increasingly fierce competition from slot machines and VLTs distributed throughout the country. With ever-changing rules according to the financial needs of the country, it is the worst way to manage long-term strategies and investments for us.
"For sure, the impact will be significant and there will be tough competition. I really expect bad effects, particularly on gross gaming revenue from electronic games."
To read the full interview, pick up a copy of September’s InterGaming.
