Political factors influencing the online casino industry in Italy
From the events that affected Senator Laboccetta to the cross-financing of the Snai: little known, but continuous (and not always transparent) are the contacts between companies in the online casino sector and those who represent us (the political class). Berlusconi said he wanted to remove the IMU, raising taxes. But it’s family super-betting company…
Consulting, campaign sponsorships and party funding. The intertwining between Azzardopoli and politics has wide shoulders. These ties jump out from time to time, especially thanks to the work of the anti-mafia. A few other times, just take a look at the budgets of the big companies of online casino Italy to discover cross-sections. From the future mayor of Rome Alemanno to the former treasurer of the DS Sposetti. To conclude with Berlusconi, who with the new games of online casinos promises tax discounts. A sector to which not all the holdings of Cav. Berlusconi.
Let’s start with the Snai case
The most important online casino Italy in our country, already in 2006 had financed Margherita’s party as confirmed by Maurizio Ughi, board member, with as much as 150 thousand euros. 30 thousand euros went to the UDC just a year later. The Electoral Committee for “Alemanno Sindaco” went to 50,000 euros in 2008. However, as Ughi complained during the Report, politics had never done anything for his company, despite the money donated with such charity. All this, despite the fact that in those years the transfers came a bit ‘everywhere. Ugo Sposetti received 45,000 euros, as well as Raffaele Lombardo.
The words of Ughi himself confirm the fact that online casinos in Italy have made an attempt to “get listened to by politics.” He said he had tried several times to get ad hoc laws passed, but never succeeded.
Embarrassing episodes
At times, dating between online casino companies and parties has led to embarrassing episodes. Like when Amedeo Laboccetta, a PDL senator and member of the Anti-Mafia Commission, was forced to hand over a computer to the Guardia di Finanza, which he himself had refused to hand over following a search. The senator was investigated together with his former assistant Corallo for the alleged financing of the Banca popolare di Milano, for forgery and favoritism. In fact, Corallo is the owner of “Atlantis / Bp Plus”, one of the most popular slot machine brands. Corallo, trying to repel the search, appealed to diplomatic immunity, as ambassador to the Caribbean Republic of Dominica to the FAO. However, no one knew him at the UN Food and Agriculture Fund.
Already his father was often forced to go to court because of the good relations he had with Nitto Santapaola (boss of Catania), and had also been sentenced to 7 years in prison for his dirty business in the world of online gambling.
We do not know how many politicians attend Azzardopoli
We don’t know them all, but some do. Among the best in Italy, not to mention:
Mario Adinolfi, one of the best in the game of international poker. Coincidentally, Adinolfi himself has long called for the “legalization” of live poker. Vincenzo Maruccio, leader of the IDV in the Lazio Region, who has been nicknamed “the bomber.” This nickname had been assigned to him by the managers of the betting centers, which he attended with great diligence, also aiming by mobile phone and, according to the accusation, using party funds. Silvio Berlusconi and his idea of eliminating the IMU with the game of chance. Who knows if he was thinking of Glaming, a young company quite well known among housewives, which proposes itself as “the best place to find out and have fun with curiosity from the world of gossip and original content.”
But who owns Glaming?
70% belongs to Mondadori! As everyone knows, it is the Knight who controls through Fininvest. It is hard to think that those who attend parliament are insensitive to the blindfolded Goddess. It is still a popular national “flag”; the gambling-related turnover increases from year to year and exceeds 100 billion! In 2022, an increase is expected due to higher post-pandemic activity.
Only Eni and Enel surpass what is today the third industry in our country, which has about 80 thousand employees, even if the industrial representatives shoot high and these numbers make them rise to 140 thousand.
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