Brightstar Lottery said Renato Ascoli will step down as Global Lottery CEO on 30 June 2026, and Marco Tasso will become executive vice-president and chief operating officer for Global Lottery on 1 July. Tasso will oversee global lottery operations and report to Brightstar CEO Vince Sadusky.
The leadership change assigns responsibility for Brightstar’s global lottery operations to a new executive from 1 July.
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Agic warned that delays to Italy’s reform of land-based gambling and restrictions on the location of authorised venues could favour illegal gambling, according to a report. The association called for the reform to be completed and the rules on venue distribution to be revised; the report said the process had stalled after discussions between the government, regions and local authorities.
AGIC called for Italy to complete reform of the retail gambling sector, citing concessions that have operated for years under extensions and fragmented regional and municipal rules. Research by MDF Partners reported 2025 gross gaming revenue of €21.6bn and tax revenue of €11.5bn; online gambling grew 11% year on year while retail was broadly stable.
The UAE General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority has added IGT and Cammegh to its Gaming-Related Vendor Licensees list, bringing the total to 21. IGT said it holds a separate licence under its restructured business; Brightstar Lottery also has a separate licence.
The UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority approved gaming-related vendor licences for Endorphina and IGT, allowing both suppliers to enter the country’s regulated gaming market. The regulator’s updated licensee list also includes GeoComply and Cammegh; IGT, Cammegh and GeoComply had not commented on their approvals in the report.
IGT announced layoffs affecting approximately 700 employees, or about 10% of its global workforce, according to a report dated 27 March 2026. The company did not disclose the roles or locations affected; an internal memo reportedly said the cuts were not performance-related and aimed to simplify the organisation and reduce duplication.