Different paths and timings are emerging for two awaited changes in the betting sector. During a meeting between ADM’s director of betting and online gaming, Antonio Giuliani, and concessionaires, new issues arose regarding the Betting Odds Error Decree, while the path seems smoother for the Bonus Decree.
Regarding the Betting Odds Error Decree, there was a delay due to new observations by the concessionaires, not previously discussed, leading ADM to postpone approval to a future meeting expected within 15 days. ADM (the Borders, Customs and Monopolies Italian Authority) has requested concessionaires to have a representative body for easier discussions in future meetings.
A key discussion point is the intervention on statistical (prematch) or dynamic (live) lists. The concessionaires are pushing for the Betting Odds Error to be valid in both situations to prevent speculative betting using advanced technology. ADM, however, aims to identify objective and technically feasible criteria to discern real, player-identifiable betting odds errors, balancing the interests of players and concessionaires. The challenge is identifying a clear and definitive standard for what constitutes a Betting Odds Error.
A major issue is identifying an erroneous betting odd when the error is common across all concessionaires due to a mistake by a single provider, lacking a basis for comparison to judge if it’s indeed a Betting Odds Error.
Meanwhile, the Bonus Decree is moving towards approval. Three types of bonuses are anticipated: full win bonus, reduced win bonus, and bonus win. Rules will be set for the issuance and use of these bonuses. A maximum of 100 euros can be used by bettors for their wagers. The “cash out” option cannot be used for amounts credited through the bonus.
Each concessionaire can issue bonuses in a calendar month up to a maximum total amount of less than 50% of the expenditure (bets minus winnings) recorded in the same period. Both the used bonus and any winnings paid out will be included in the total sums played and won, thus valid for the calculation of the unique tax. sb/AGIMEG
