AK Informatica CEO criticises proposed LAN gaming-room costs in Italy
Regulation2 min read
In brief
- AK Informatica's Alessio Cicolari criticised proposed Italian rules for LAN gaming rooms.
- His example setup would face estimated annual costs of €61,500, or €55,100 at the ordinary simulator rate.
- He asked for clearer definitions and said the views are personal.
Alessio Cicolari, chief executive of AK Informatica, has criticised proposed rules for LAN gaming rooms in Italy in a statement. Measures on LAN rooms are among those planned in the 2027 budget law on public gaming.
Cicolari illustrated the cost impact with a setup of 24 PCs, eight driving simulators and 10 consoles. He put the average annual cost of ISI and authorisations at €61,500, or €55,100 if the simulators fell under the ordinary rate. He added that this assumed he had correctly understood the draft.
His calculation puts annual ISI at €1,200 for each of the 24 PCs, a total of €28,800. It also puts ISI at €1,200 for each of the 10 consoles, a total of €12,000. For the eight simulators, it applies €2,000 each if they are classed as large simulators, a total of €16,000. Authorisations for the 42 devices and the room come to €9,400 every two years, equivalent to €4,700 a year. The calculation excludes games and platforms, on the assumption that rights holders and platform operators bear those contributions.
Cicolari welcomed the creation of a dedicated category, which he said had been expected for a long time. In his view, ISI remains the chief difficulty. He considers the proposed authorisation fees high and says that renewing every two years restricts operators relative to what they invest. He wants a clear line drawn between an ordinary simulator and a large one, because the gap significantly affects costs and should not be left to interpretation. He also finds a floor of twenty workstations problematic.
Cicolari warned that if each individual room had to pay the 2.000 euro charged every two years for every game offered, the model would become economically unsustainable. Even a catalogue of ten titles would mean a further 20.000 euro every two years, he said. In his words, the draft needs to say explicitly who is liable for paying these contributions. On tournaments, he fears that putting ADM in charge of rules on participation, fees and prizes could make fast-changing activities more rigid. On the changeover, he observed that the interim period calls for an article 86 licence, even though many businesses have been steered towards travelling entertainment.
Cicolari said the views are expressed in a personal capacity and are not an official position of the association. He said he will ask the association, AIEG, to request a meeting with the government and the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli.