Recent news from Sicily revealed that the situation - fairly chaotic in the rest of Italy - was even more so in the big Mediterranean island.

Italy

Like the other 20 regions in Italy, Sicily now has wrested more power over gambling from federal control, but it is complicated by the widespread illegal operations.

Historically, Sicily has many differences in its background from the rest of the country with some special internal regulations, but it also has a major problem with crime and that complicates the situation further.

Like the rest of Italy, Sicily is in the grip of major changes in the way it regards AWP machines. Federal law provides for gaming but the 21 regions over the years have intervened with limitations to avoid an excessive spread of gaming, citing the country’s constitution that does permit levels of autonomy to the regions.

This autonomy over gaming has never been tested in the courts and the battle over control of gaming has seen the Italian government become increasingly weak and exposed to criticism from voters. It has effectively capitulated and granted extra powers to the regions.

Running alongside this is a newly-negotiated agreement between the government and the regions in which the regulation of machine distribution within the regions has been rewritten. In effect it has signaled a major reduction from the approximately 400,000 AWPs operating in Italy. By April 2018 this will be cut by 34 per cent to 265,000. They consist of 125,000 AWPs in bars and tobacconists and 17,000 from around 8,000 other venues.

This affects Sicily too, although the region has many illegal machines, happily co-existing in locations alongside legal AWPs. But Sicily has yet to introduce specific regulations to cut the number of legal machines. The region also has a great many illegal sports betting “corners” in its venues.

The deal between the Italian government and the regions was signed on September 7, 2017. It gave the regions considerably more power over gaming in their territories. In addition to the reductions in AWPs, the plan is to replace the reduced number of 265,000 machines with a remotely controlled specification by December 31, 2019.

From January 1, 2018, the established base would be systematically reduced by 50 per cent of the venues each year where there are more than two AWPs. Those venues with one or two machines would have until December 31, 2019, to complete the exercise.

Image: Machines in the Catania area of Sicily, legally operated by local company Landro Games