Zona de Azar Italy – Italian Online Sector Declines as Retail Reopens in June

Italy.- 27th July 2021 www.zonadeazar.com The return of retail sports betting boosted gross gaming revenue in Italy in June, but the country’s online betting and gaming sectors posted their lowest revenue figures of the year so far during the month.

June saw the first month of retail betting activity since October 2020. This reopening – plus Euro 2020 – helped boost sports betting revenue to the highest total since October and third-best month ever with €215.8m (£184.7m/$254.3m).

However, with the return of the retail sector, online revenue declined. Total online gambling revenue came to €263.2m, the lowest total since November 2020, with online sports betting hitting its lowest total since September 2020, at €102.5m.

Online casino and slot revenue also declined to its lowest level since November 2020, at €134.0m. However, this total was higher than every month up to and including November 2020, showing the fast rise of online casino in the past two years.

Looking at market leaders, PokerStars remained on top in casino, restoring its 10% share of the market after slipping below that level in May. Second-placed Sisal’s market share also increased, but Lottomatica – which was sold in May to private equity fund Apollo Global Management – saw its share slip to 6.67%.

In sports betting, the return of retail meant that regular betting shop customers returned to the sector, allowing primarily online brands to increase their share of the online sports betting market. Bet365 returned to first place with 13.4%, after ranking sixth in May. Snai held onto second while previous leader Sisal slipped to third.

Across the entire sports betting market, the return of retail meant that Snai became the market leader, ahead of Goldbet in second, with Sisal close behind.

Looking at poker, market leader Pokerstars had easily its lowest market share for tournaments since the Dashboard began, though its share of cash games rebounded.

All data and figures from the regulator are processed by leading European corporate advisory firm Ficom Leisure, a specialist in all segments of the betting and gaming sector.

Ficom Leisure also provides monthly figures on the New Jersey online market in the New Jersey iGaming Dashboard, Pennsylvania in the Pennsylvania iGaming Dashboard and Iowa in the Iowa iGaming Dashboard, all of which are available on iGB North America.

It also provides quarterly figures on the Spanish online market in the Spain iGaming Dashboard and the Portuguese market in the Portugal iGaming Dashboard.

Edited by: @MaiaDigital www.zonadeazar.com