The SIGMA show, now in its sixth edition, is the most sought-after annual destination by iGaming companies and delegates from all over the world.
In Malta could not miss the Stanleybet group, represented by its CEO Giovanni Garrisi, who for the occasion was joined by our team The Betting Coach at the exhibition stand of Magellan Robotech, a company considered the B2B branch of the iGaming giant.
An interesting and highly performing show in which the Group presented all the latest innovations launched on the market including the jewel of the house – the MBK (Magellan Betting Kiosk), the automatic betting station produced in the laboratories of Split in Croatia and the famous TRIDENT, the Virtual Football League with 20 teams with recurring games every 5 minutes.
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“Tax Decree in Italy, Register of operators, the future of the company – these are some of the themes touched by Giovanni Garrisi (ceo of Stanleybet) in the our interview
Tax Decree: Articles 28 (payment block) and 31 (single tax) seem to be rules made on purpose against Stanleybet: is that so?
A Law is an important document for the country. We cannot think that this can be written with Stanley in mind.
However, I gladly accept the subtle provocation of the question, which perhaps would imply that Stanley can be considered an operator not belonging to the legal circuit or who is not subject to the payment of taxes due. Obviously, this is not the case.
Thousands of judgments by the national judiciary, including our Constitutional Court, and a dozen judgments of the Court of Justice testify to this for over twenty years. As for the single tax, Stanley asked the administration, by letter of 30 June 2016, to receive instructions to start paying tax in Italy instead of Malta.
In short, in mid-2016, the date set for the expiry of the concessions by Monti, Stanley logically believed that it could easily begin to be part of the concession system. Consequently, the request with which Stanley, finding an ADM circular addressed to all operators, declared to the letter that:
1) it undertook to participate in the next tender required by law (never banned);
2) He asked for instructions on how to start, from 1 July 2016, to pay the single tax in Italy and the concession and administrative charges and
3) He asked for instructions to proceed with the connection with the national totaliser.
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Remaining on the subject of the Tax Decree, how will you behave with regard to the obligation to register with the Single Register of operators?
Stanley and its points, pursuant to the current wording of the tax decree, are required to register in the register. And, as always, they will comply with current legislation.
Obviously, his question was to ask what happens if this registration is refused. The answer is simple…
… If the registration is refused, the rules of the Italian State, which we must not forget, are a state of law, they allow us to implement the procedural remedies necessary for the non-application of national legislation in contrast with the law of the European Union and the law for the protection and relief of the subjective rights and legitimate interests that had been violated.
On the other hand, the refusal to register in the register implies, among the consequences provided for by the law, the impossibility to register for the same for 5 years, with the consequent impossibility, for those who are out of the register, to participate in the next tenders. Should this happen, it is common ground that there would be a new, manifest discrimination against Stanley, this time denying registration in the register.
I doubt that there is someone who wants to take a road like this against Stanley.
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The concession of the Scratch and Win was the object of your “attention”. How do you think / hope the matter will end?
The concession of “Scratch and Win” was renewed to the current manager without any public tender. Stanley challenged the relevant deeds and, during the appeal procedure, finally obtained that the State Council remit the matter to the Court of Justice.
Last week, the Court’s chancellery asked the parties, and therefore also Stanley, to lodge the defensive writings in which each one will present his reasons within 60 days. It is possible that the Court, on such an important issue, considers it necessary to hold both the oral hearing in Luxembourg and to hear the so-called “conclusions of the Advocate General”.
In this case, the sentence could arrive within 12 months from today. It will then be the referring court, that is the Council of State, to apply the binding decisions of the Court of Justice. In the past, Stanley had challenged the renewal without tender of another concession of the Italian State, that of the Superenalotto assigned to Sisal, which in 2004 was renewed, for another 5 years, without a tender. In that case, it was not necessary to refer to the Court of Justice, but it was the Council of State itself to cancel the Sisal Concession with a judgment.
In the tender that was subsequently banned by the Administration, the concession for the Superenalotto was again awarded to Sisal, but with the forecast of greater revenues for the State of over half a billion.
Let’s make a hypothesis. If a representative of an important investment fund came to you asking you to buy Stanleybet, what would you say?
I would advise him not to buy until the company is connected to the national totalizator, with an ADM number in order to complete the F24 regarding taxes, etc., etc.
The Stanley is a strange phenomenon, which has a management systematically fighting for the restoration of Legality in every context in which it has been violated. At the moment, in the gaming industry. In the future, who knows. Let’s try this concept to put it in quotes. Let’s see: “Restoring Legality”. He will also have noticed the ‘L’ capital letter used for the word ‘Legality’.
So, going back to a hypothetical buyer, I would say: “come back to me when the Stanley company will be a full part of the concession system. At that point we can talk about it and we will certainly agree “.