CONI, the National Olympic Committee of Italy has partnered with Sisal to launch “Win for Team Italia”. The project launches Italy’s first dedicated lottery draw to raise direct funds for the Olympic team and its support network of sports associations.
Announced by CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio and Sisal CEO Roberto Di Fonzo, on 28 September the ‘Vinci Italia’ lottery draw will be activated across Sisal’s 35,000 retail points and online platform.
Vinci Italia will be hosted as a daily draw of 40 numbers, with tickets priced at €2 per combination. Sisal will host a daily draw with ‘opening jackpots’ guaranteeing a prize pool of €2m.
The draw is structured to allocate 65% of proceeds to the player prize pool, whilst Sisal is guaranteed to distribute 27% of income to CONI for the funding of Team Italia Olympic cycle.
Buonfiglio described the lottery as one of his first priorities after being elected CONI President in 2025. Its launch follows a seven-year development process involving CONI, Sisal, the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) and government representatives.
“After 23 years, we are reviving the tradition through a game whose benefits will be passed on to sporting activities,” Buonfiglio said.
“The credit goes to the successes of our athletes, starting with the Tokyo Olympic Games, moving on to Paris, Milano Cortina, the many World and European Championships, and finally the Mediterranean Games.”
The scheme received government approval through Italy’s previous Budget Law. Buonfiglio credited Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti with recognising the value of creating a direct and sustainable source of funding for Italian Olympic sport.
CONI emphasised that the product is a lottery rather than a sports-betting proposition. Mornati explained that its purpose extends beyond fundraising, with plans to associate numbers with Italian athletes, Olympic disciplines and major sporting events.
“Not all young athletes are well known in the media, and our objective is to ensure that people get to know them,” Mornati stated. “We are not talking about betting. This is a lottery that allows everyone to contribute to our sporting movement and the success of our athletes.”
For Sisal, the partnership revives its historic connection with the funding of Italian sport. The company launched its original football pools coupon in 1946, with proceeds supporting the reconstruction of stadiums damaged during the Second World War. The game subsequently became the Totocalcio and passed under CONI’s management in 1948.
Whilst Italian gambling proceeds have previously financed CONI and national sporting activities, this is being presented as the first modern lottery created specifically to generate a direct and ring-fenced contribution for the Italian Team across both Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
Di Fonzo said: “We are providing the strength of our network, our capacity for innovation and the experience gained over time to provide concrete and continuous support to the Italian Olympic movement, helping to promote its growth, competitiveness and values.”
Calcio Levy still on negotiating table
The future funding of Italian sport has returned to the political spotlight as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government begins preparing the country’s final Budget 2027 ahead of the next Italian general election.
The government is considering proposals intended to strengthen the finances of Italian sport, including reforms affecting professional football, youth development and grassroots programmes.
The debate has also revived calls to amend or repeal the gambling advertising and sponsorship restrictions introduced by the 2018 Dignity Decree. Italian sports organisations have repeatedly argued that the blanket ban removed an important source of commercial funding from professional clubs and governing bodies.
However, no repeal has yet been approved. Any reform will depend on negotiations involving Sports Minister Andrea Abodi, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, CONI, and Serie A and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC)
Negotiating parties have agreed in principle to introduce a 2% levy on sports betting wagers, that will be titled as the “Right-to-Bet” scheme on Italian bookmakers. Funds raised by the scheme will be directed towards the Italian Football Federation and programmes including youth academies, infrastructure, women’s and amateur football, and measures addressing gambling-related harm.
Negotiations have been stalled due to the fallout of the FIGC presidential race, electing Giovanni Malagò as new leader. The FIGC is reported to have fractures with Italian football on the terms of new broadcast rights and financial controls Malagò seeks to implement to reward youth development of clubs as a priority.
Meloni has warned officers that negotiations and proposals must be submitted and accounted for by end of September to proceed onto the Budget 2027, with no exceptions even for the sake of Italian football.