Sisal is an Italian lottery and gaming operator founded in Milan in 1945 by three journalists, Massimo Della Pergola, Fabio Jegher and Geo Molo, who wanted to launch Italy's first football pool and use it to help fund the post-war reconstruction of Italian sport. The first Schedina coupon followed in May 1946 and became Totocalcio. Alongside Totocalcio and Totip it runs SuperEnalotto, the country's best-known lottery draw, and its products are woven deeply into Italian mass-participation gaming. Flutter Entertainment acquired the company in August 2022 for 1.9 billion pounds, a deal struck while Sisal was bidding for the British National Lottery licence, which gave Flutter both an Italian foothold and a genuine lottery capability it had not previously held.
With the reorganisation of betting shops, gaming halls and machines abandoned in August, the Ministry of Economy and Finance is looking at extending the licences that expire in December to the end of 2029 and collecting the fees, according to reports on the 2027 Budget. A €1 billion scratch-card tender is also in the mix.
Italy’s ongoing gambling reform, driven by significantly increased licence fees and higher barriers to entry, is rapidly consolidating Europe’s largest
International Game Technology (IGT) is expressing confidence in securing the highly prestigious Lotto Italia concession for another term. This development