Games, Zega (Codere Italia): ‘90% turnover in smoke, reopen immediately and support for the sector ‘

Still heavy clouds over the legal gaming sector, which continues to be closed by decree. In the ” annus horribilis’ of the covid by Marco Zega, administrative and financial director of Codere Italia, the network of bingo halls and gaming halls, there is a strong alarm for a sector “where it was possible to work 4 months out of 16 and 90 to one hundred of the turnover has already gone up in smoke “. Immediate reopening and support are therefore, according to Zega, a topic that can no longer be postponed, not only to preserve jobs but against the resurgence of illegal gambling. “It can be reopened immediately. There are already validated security protocols that allow you to enter the rooms in total safety. Unlike other sectors such as catering, game rooms and bingo halls, the use of a mask is foreseen in order to continuous “, Zega told Adnkronos. However, the director of Codere also needs serious government intervention on the supports to heal the wounds of the pandemic. “We are waiting to understand what measures are intended to be taken and we remain available for a discussion, appreciating the commitment of Undersecretary Durigon on the possibility of a fund for the sectors still closed by decree, but we must act soon”, emphasizes Zega. In fact, in Zega’s perspective, legal gaming does not only concern those directly involved but constitutes an indispensable safeguard of legality. “We can really be a valuable tool in the hands of the government against illegal gambling whose resurgence is not only denounced by the operators in the sector that register unfair competition, but by the competent parliamentary committees, by the public safety authorities, by the committee for prevention and the repression of illegal gaming and by the Customs and Monopolies Agency which is doing an excellent job on the subject “, concludes Zega.