Italian regulator denies Sazka is Superenalotto frontrunner

Italy’s Agenzia delle dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) has denied newspaper reports that Czech gaming and lottery giant Sazka Group is in pole position to win a tender to operate the SuperEnalotto national lottery.

The Czech operator, which is active in Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Greece as well as Italy, was described as the frontrunner for the concession following an initial examination of its economic and technical proposals.

This, according to Italian daily newspaper La Reppublica, put it ahead of rival bidders Lottomatica and Sisal.

However ADM said the paper’s claims were unfounded. It said the technical proposals put forward by the bidders for the tender were currently being evaluated, and that until this was completed, the economic terms proposals would not be unsealed.

“[In] accordance with the principles of publicity and transparency of administrative action provided for by national and EU legislation, the envelopes containing the economic offers will be opened, by the adjudicating commission, in a special public session only after the outcome of the evaluation of the technical projects,” it explained.

The tender for a nine-year contract to operate SuperEnalotto has launched in March this year, with Sisal having operated the thrice-weekly draws since its launch in 1997.

Bidding for the concession will start at €100m (£89.6m/$112.3m), with the maximum share for the operator capped at 5% of sales. Currently Sisal takes 3.73% of stakes.

The winning bidder is expected to be selected by September 30.