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Stanleybet Pays Taxes in Bid to End Block on Entering Italian Betting Tenders

Published

3 years ago

January 11, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Stanleybet Malta Ltd., the Maltese subsidiary of the Liverpool based Stanleybet Group, has announced its decision to pay Italian retail betting tax to the Italian regulator, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), for the first time ever in Italy. The first payment, made on 2nd January 2023, with the “F24” form under the same rules that apply to Italian licensed operators, refers to the revenue made by Stanleybet in its Italian retail shops for the period 1st to 31st December 2022, which by law is due for payment by 31st January 2023. ADM was informed of this decision on the same day of the payment, via letter sent to its General Manager and to the 2 top officials responsible for gaming and betting at ADM.

Four sentences of the European Court of Justice, later confirmed by the Italian Court of Cassation and, recently, by the Italian Council of State, ruled that Stanleybet had been discriminated against with respect to free access to the Italian retail licensing system: both in the initial experimental phase (1998), and with regards to subsequent public tenders: in 2000, 2006 – with the “Bersani” tender – and, lastly, in 2012, with the “Monti” tender.

In addition, ADM prevented Stanleybet from entering the 2015 and 2016 “amnesty” proceedings. In fact, with multiple trials initiated by the Italian Regulator between 2014 and 2017 against senior Stanleybet executives and against Stanleybet shop owners (CTDs), ADM effectively made Stanleybet’s participation in those proceedings impossible, due to a lack of fair and objective entry conditions. Those proceedings ended in December 2017, when the deadline for seeking participation in the “amnesty” expired.

It should be noted that Stanleybet has never actually filed a complaint against ADM – despite all the crime reports that have been filed against its business in Italy and yet were ultimately concluded in Stanleybet’s favour.

The company has always favoured the path of dialogue. In fact, around the time of the expiry of the Italian retail betting licensing system, on 30th June 2016, Stanleybet, which by then was officially recognised as a lawful operator by the Italian courts, formally asked ADM to allow it to start paying the Italian retail betting tax in the same way as the Italian licensed operators do, by being linked to the “national totaliser” (the centralised data control system for licensed operators). ADM ignored the letter for 3 long years, and then only responded when forced to do so by the Italian Ministry of the Economy, whom Stanleybet urged to intervene as a last resort.

ADM’s historical aversion to Stanleybet should come as no surprise. After all, how could ADM, the organisation which itself was responsible for the discrimination suffered by Stanleybet, then turn around and admit that Stanleybet’s activity was always lawful? In addition, as ADM is a government body should the Italian Government not share some of the responsibility?

With the 2011 Stability Law and subsequent amendments, the Italian legislator provided for payment of the retail betting tax, not only by operators licensed in Italy but also by operators that were not licensed by the Italian authorities. However, in the latter case the betting tax payable could instead be calculated by reference to shop revenue based on tripling the average betting shop revenue for the relevant province. ADM then chose to apply these “tripling” provisions to Stanleybet, thereby effectively admitting that it still considered Stanleybet to be an illegal operator. The result of ADM’s actions was a large and unnecessary tax dispute, which remains ongoing.

During 2022, Stanleybet proposed to ADM that it was prepared to immediately start paying the retail betting tax as a licensed operator, subject to a formal settlement agreement to deal with alleged historic liabilities, with the intention of drawing a line under the issue, once and for all. Although various meetings were held in “Piazza Mastai”, ADM’s headquarters, even with the initial participation of the ADM Director himself, ADM’s position remained totally against this proposal. Even numerous settlement proposals put forward to ADM in individual tax proceedings, often with the support of the relevant Judge, were met with an absolute refusal by ADM to reconsider the calculations and Stanleybet’s position as an Italian licensed operator.

Given that any attempt to get ADM to accept a reasonable solution to the dispute seemed futile, Stanleybet proposed during a Group Board Meeting of its Executive Directors in Liverpool, held on 15th December 2022, to start paying the Italian retail betting tax, exercising the right to pay taxes in Italy like any other licensed operator. The decision was formally approved, after further deliberation and planning, at a further extraordinary Group Board Meeting of its Executive Directors held on 28th December 2022. Stanleybet hopes that ADM will consider this proactive decision not as a challenge, but as an act of common sense made in good faith and in the best interests of the Italian State. The Maltese gambling regulator (MGA), which is well aware of Stanleybet’s history in Italy, fully understands Stanleybet’s decision and the reasons behind it, and was officially informed at the same time as ADM. Whilst Stanleybet Malta Ltd.’s aim is for full participation in the Italian regulated system, it remains and wishes to remain, a licensee of the MGA – which it thanks officially, and with deep gratitude, for its continued support.

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Female Protea Esports Team arrives safely in Malaysia.

Published

3 minutes ago

December 2, 2025

Adrienn Sarkany

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

The MSSA Protea Esports Team for the MLBB Esports Title has safely arrived in Malaysia. The team is proudly sporting purple, instead of green, in support of ending Gender Based Violence in South Africa.

Moments before the team landed in Malaysia, IESF had already done the draw. There are four groups of national teams and South Africa is in Group A with Malaysia and Iran.

This is, without doubt, the group of death with Team Malaysia having won the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) event at the World Esports Championship (WEC) 2024, the Protea Esports Team has an uphill battle against them. However, it is more than likely that the team that wins this group will have a good chance of winning the World Championships (WEC25).

The prize money is as follows:

MLBB Women prizes:

1st place – US$17,500.00
2nd place – US$10,500.00
3rd place – US$7,000.00

The full team is as follows:

Name	Club	Nick	Province
Rowell Pillay (Capt.)	Mavericks	Ketsuka	KZN
Neisha Ann Khan	Mavericks	Rose	Western Cape
Ranya Sujee	Mavericks	Aewynne	Gauteng
Rashmika Nanakan	Mavericks	DimpledDruid	Gauteng
Shanel Arunachellam	Mavericks	Isla	Gauteng

Additional reading:

2025 Calendar of Events
AEC24 – Champions of all of Africa – Protea Female Counter Strike 2 Esports Team wins AEC24
AEC24 – Forged in battle – a Counter Strike story…
Affiliation: Private Clubs
Affiliation – Procedure to be followed by school clubs affiliating for the 2026 season.
Awards – 2024 Management Board Awards
Backgammon – South African Player Reaches World Championship Final in Monte Carlo
Backgammon – Welcome home, Doron. You’ve inspired a nation!
Blog – MSSA’s blog page is ranked 9th in South Africa!
Board – Calling all volunteers.
BRICS – Breaking the glass ceiling at 2025 BRICS Esports Championships – 31 May 2025
BRICS – Final day of BRICS Esports Championships – 1 June 2025
BRICS – Luay finishes in fifth place in his group.
BRICS – MSSA National Team Trials for 2025 BRICS Esports Championships for TEKKEN 8 – 13 April 2025
BRICS – Protea Luay Khan faces toughest matches in his life.
BRICS – ReSF to host BRICS Esports Championship 2025 in Tekken – 28 May 2025 to 3 June 2025.
BRICS – Sydney ‘KYōi’ Wood wins both hearts and minds.
BRICS – UNIFIR3 to stream 2025 BRICS Esports Championships on 31 May – 1 June 2025.
BRICS – With cat-like tread…MSSA’s Protea Esports Team for Tekken 8 advances on the 2025 BRICS Esports Championships in Moscow.
Colours 2024 – Almost half the awards are awarded to female gamers.
Colours 2024 – Athletes who have earned Senior Provincial Colours in 2024
Events – 6th WESTERN CAPE Online Championships – 22 February 2025
Events – 24th WESTERN CAPE Championships – 31 May 2025
Events – Last chance to qualify for BRICS Esports Championships – 14th Provincial Online Championships to be held on 5 April 2025.
Events – Northern Cape Online Esports Provincial Championships – 25 January 2025.
Events – Reminder: 5th S A Schools Online National Championships – 28 June 2025
Events – Types of esports events run by MSSA.
Fees: MSSA advises of its affiliation and registration fees for the 2024/2025 season.
Hosting – Hosting official Regional Championships.
IESF – AEC – African Regional Championships – Day 2 – Tuesday, 29 July 2025 at 17H00.
IESF – AEC – AFRICAN REGIONAL PLAYOFFS START TODAY FOR MSSA
IWSF – AEC – After an initial loss, SA beats Madagascar.
IESF – AEC – Female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 esports title to do battle against Namibia – AEC25
IESF – AEC – IESF’s African Regional Championships – FINAL RESULTS – Tuesday, 29 July 2025.
IESF – AEC – Namibia crumbles!
IESF – AEC – Rowell Pillay replaces Neisha Khan as captain of the female Protea MLBB esports team.
IESF – AEC – South Africa conquers all in MLBB…
IESF – AEC – South Africa granted victory with Namibia being disqualified!
IESF – AEC – South Africa takes to the field in PUBGM on 28 July 2025 at 17H00.
IESF – AEC – South Africa to battle both Namibia and Congo on 22 July 2025.
IESF – AEC – South Africa vs Madagascar – 26 July 2025 at 14H00.
IESF – AEC – South Africa vs Namibia – 25 July 2025 at 21H00.
IESF – AEC – The goddess Nike smiles on – again!
IESF – AEC – The Titans meet – South Africa vs Madagascar – 23 July 2023
IESF – AEC – Victoria cum audacia! – South Africa wins!
IESF – AEC – Victory over Madagascar – now on to Namibia!
IESF – AEC – Victory without losses!
IESF – AEC – WAYLANDER stream of IESF’s Southern African Regional Championships
IESF – 136 Nations Registered for IESF 2025 World Esports Championships.
IESF – IESF announces proposed game titles for 17th World Esports Championships to be held in 2025.
IESF – IESF Official Statement on WEC24 Prize Pool Allocation
IESF – MSSA CONFIRMS ITS ENTRY TO WEC25
IESF – Official Game Titles for 2025 IESF WEC25
IESF – SA Proteas to take on four African countries in MLBB – 12 April 2025
IESF – SA Team Trials
IESF – WEC25 – Female Protea Esports Team arrives safely in Malaysia.
IESF – WEC25 – Joy unrefined!
IESF – WEC25 – We all stand together!
International events – After defeating Madagascar, SA’s Female Proteas to take on Mauritius and Ghana..
International events – FHE eFootball World Tournament 2025 – Sign Up Now!
International events – ReSF to host BRICS Esports Championship 2025 in Tekken
International events – SOUTH AFRICA vs IVORY COAST in PUBGM title
International events – TEST MATCH – SOUTH AFRICA vs MAURITIUS in MLBB title
International events – Rose is no wilting bloom – the result of SA vs Mauritius.
International events – SA Female Protea to take on Mauritius and Madagascar in MLBB – 1 May 2025
International events – SA Female Team emerges triumphant!
International events – SA Proteas march on to fight Mauritius in MLBB on 13 April 2025 at 15H00
International events – SA Proteas to take on Congo in MLBB on 13 April 2025 at 13H30
International events – SA trounces Botswana in MLBB
Legal – Privacy. Who is looking after the children?
National Team Trials: Ensuring every athlete achieves their dreams.
National Team Trials – MSSA events that count for National Team Trials for 17th IESF World Championships (WEC25)
Nominations: Nominations are needed for 2025 AGM.
Nominations: Nominations required by midnight,19 November 2025 for MSSA’s Management Board Awards.
Phygital: 2025 MSSA PHYGITAL EBASS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 19 – 22 NOVEMBER 2025
Readership: Member clubs are invited to post articles on MSSA’s blog.
Results – Northern Cape Online Esports Provincial Championships held on 25 January 2025.
Team Trials: To qualify for National Team Trials to represent South Africa.
Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s Premier Provincial and National Championships – 2025.
Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s 2025 High School and Primary School Championships and leagues.
Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s 2025 Student Championships.
Transfers: Transfer season – 1 November 2024 to 28 February 2025
WADA – WADA’s 2025 Prohibited List and revised TDSSA

Jobs:

Legal Counsel – Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Brackley)

Other news:

Chess – From Georgia with Love – 2018 FIDE Chess Olympiad
Chess – World Chess Olympiad in Batumi 2018 -n a book by Dr. Lyndon Boauh
Western Cape – Table tennis rulebook now available in isiXhosa

Other African News:

Benin – Assemblée Générale Constitutive : la Fédération Béninoise des Sports Électroniques (FBSE) mis sous les fonts baptismaux
Botswana – Botswana has an esports Federation

The post Female Protea Esports Team arrives safely in Malaysia. appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Mr Vegas giveaway raises cash for Sheffield Wednesday during administration crisis

Published

3 minutes ago

December 2, 2025

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Mr Vegas helped raise vital funds for Sheffield Wednesday after donating a VIP hospitality box for a fan raffle during last weekend’s Steel City derby against Sheffield United.

The fundraising initiative comes during one of the most challenging periods in the Owls’ 158-year history, following the club’s entry into administration and a points deduction that was yesterday extended by a further six to 18. Mr Vegas, the club’s front-of-shirt sponsor, has renewed its commitment to the club while also offering additional commercial assets to help raise vital funds.

The donated hospitality package was raffled among supporters ahead of the derby, with the winning prize going to lifelong Wednesday fan Simon and nine friends. While 3-0 home defeat was hardly what fans hoped for, the raffle raised £9,000 directly for the club.

Simon said: “Although the result on the pitch wasn’t great, the rest of the day was excellent. We loved being in a box, going down the tunnel and pitchside. Thank you to Mr Vegas for donating this to Sheffield Wednesday.”

Marco Trucco, CMO at Mr Vegas, said the decision to step up support during the club’s darkest period was clear.

“The weight of uncertainty in moments like this falls almost entirely on the fans. As a brand, you can either step up or step back – and for us, the choice was easy. We sponsor the club, not past ownership. Sheffield Wednesday’s identity is rooted in its history and its supporters, and that’s what we choose to stand behind.

“When the club entered administration, we worked with the administrators to find practical ways to help raise funds. This included giving back several VIP boxes, hospitality tickets and other sponsorship assets so they could be raffled directly to fans.”

James Todd, Head of Commercial at Sheffield Wednesday, added: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to our Principal Partners Mr Vegas. They have offered unwavering support during an extremely difficult period for the club and we truly appreciate it.

“It’s been a pleasure working with Mr Vegas over the past couple of seasons. We are delivering strong activations and engagement both in-stadia and digitally, and their continued backing has meant a great deal to everyone connected with the club.”

Mr Vegas moved from back-of-shirt sponsor to front-of-shirt sponsor ahead of this season, renewing its partnership with the club despite the growing financial turmoil at Hillsborough. The brand has also supported a wider series of fan-led fundraising initiatives through social media promotion and ticket and hospitality raffles.

Trucco added: “Sheffield Wednesday has one of the most loyal fan bases in English football. It’s a historic club and exactly the kind of community-focused partnership that matters to us. We’ll continue to do what we can to support the club and its supporters while they work towards securing a buyer and a more stable future.”

The post Mr Vegas giveaway raises cash for Sheffield Wednesday during administration crisis appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Get into the holiday spirit with Christmas Megapots from Big Time Gaming

Published

2 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Adrienn Sarkany

get-into-the-holiday-spirit-with-christmas-megapots-from-big-time-gaming

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Players can jingle their way to jackpot joy in Christmas MegapotsTM from Big Time Gaming.

Step into the snow-dusted world of Christmas MegapotsTM where every spin is brimming with holiday cheer and jackpot potential.

This festive slot brings Big Time Gaming’s legendary Megapots mechanic to life with seasonal sparkle, giving players the chance to unwrap Mini, Midi or Mega Jackpots with each spin.

But there’s more… When six or more Gold Coins land anywhere on the reels the dazzling Hold & Spin feature bursts into life.

Players get an initial three Re-spins, with each symbol transforming into a mini reel of wonder, revealing shimmering Coins that carry Cash Prizes, Multipliers or those glorious Megapot icons.

Keep your sleigh in motion as every time one or more new Coins appears, Respins reset to three, keeping the Christmas cheer alive and twinkling.

When the Respins fizzle out, it’s time for the Prize Reveal – the total Coin value is Multiplied by all revealed Multipliers – ho, ho, ho indeed.

But the real joy comes during the Hold & Spin feature when you collect three matching MegapotsTM icons to score one of the jackpots. Better yet, if every reel glitters with a Coin symbol, the entire bonus is doubled.

Looking for more stocking fillers? You get them with the Free Spins bonus.

The reels jingle with joy when three or more Golden Bells chime, unlocking 12 Free Spins with two Extra Spins for every Scatter beyond the third.

Once the Free Spins get underway, the excitement snowballs as the win Multiplier starts at 1x and climbs higher with each Coin that lands.

If the Hold & Spin feature doesn’t trigger, each Coin remains frozen in place like a snowflake, building anticipation for what the next spin might unwrap.

Feel the festive cheer soar when three or more Golden Bells jingle again during the Free Spins as they award four additional Free Games plus two more for every extra Scatter that lands.

Want to head straight for the turkey? Tap the Bonus Buy icon to trigger the Hold and Spin bonus for just 35x the bet or unleash 12 merry and bright Free Spins for 100x the bet.

Nik, Robinson at Big Time Gaming, said: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year and with Christmas MegapotsTM, players can get into the festive spirit and get the chance to unwrap truly epic wins.”

“MegapotsTM is one of our most popular mechanics of 2025 but we wanted to add some extra cheer by putting at the centre of this year’s festive slot from BTG.”

“Throw in the Hold and Spin feature, Multipliers, Free Spins and Bonus Buy and you have a speaking seasonal slot that captures the magic of Christmas with massive potential rewards.”

The post Get into the holiday spirit with Christmas Megapots from Big Time Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.