IGT will continue to operate the Lotto game and related contests, such as 10eLotto, for the next nine years. According to information obtained by Agimeg, IGT submitted a financial bid of €2.230 billion, narrowly beating Flutter Group’s offer of €2.208 billion.
The difference between the two bids was minimal—just 0.7%. Also according to Agimeg, IGT received a technical score of 40, compared to Flutter Group’s 38.9.
Lotto and its related games remain one of the key components of the public gaming market in Italy: as of 2024, total wagers from Lotto, 10eLotto, and other number games surpassed €8 billion.
The projected value of the new concession over its full nine-year term is estimated to exceed €4.3 billion. IGT, which has been managing the Lotto for over 30 years, is now preparing to continue its operations with a focus on operational continuity and technological innovation.
Lotto is considered the world’s oldest active lottery game. In 2006, its 500-year anniversary was celebrated with a commemorative stamp issued by the Italian postal service. Its origins trace back to 16th-century Genoa, where citizens bet on which names of local nobles would be drawn for government positions.
The game evolved and spread across Italy, overcoming bans and even threats of excommunication. In 1731, the Papal State legalized Lotto and used its proceeds to fund public works like the Trevi Fountain and the reclamation of the Pontine Marshes.
Over the centuries, draws became more frequent, eventually becoming a regular Saturday event. Following Italian unification, Lotto was regulated by the state, and in 1994 the operational license was granted to a private operator—then Lottomatica, now IGT.
Since 2005, draws have gradually transitioned to an automated system, with full automation completed in 2009, replacing the traditional blindfolded child who once drew the numbers manually. sb/AGIMEG