(AsiaGameHub) – This May marks the 80th anniversary of Sisal as Italy’s oldest gambling company and the first to introduce betting markets, football pools, and public lotteries.
Founded in 1945 by three Milanese journalists—Massimo Della Pergola, Fabio Jegher, and Geo Molo—Sisal was established with the goal of launching Italy’s first football betting pool to support the post-war revival of Italian sports.
In May 1946, the trio introduced the inaugural Schedina (football pools coupon), which later evolved into the renowned Totocalcio, operated by Sport Italia Società a Responsabilità Limitata.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Italy’s original football prediction contest and the launch of Totocalcio, Sisal is unveiling “Memorie di Carta,” a cultural initiative focused on restoring the historic Sport Italia publication that accompanied the first Schedina contest in 1946.
Legacy of Innovation
Hosted at the Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense in Milan, the event will feature the recovered and restored first six issues of Sport Italia, the official publication of the original Totocalcio competition launched on 5 May 1946, shortly after the end of World War II.
The project was developed in collaboration with the Botticino Restoration School and brought together representatives from Italy’s cultural institutions, restoration agencies, and gaming industry to reflect on Totocalcio’s historical role in shaping modern Italian sports culture.
Alongside iconic games like Totip and SuperEnalotto, Totocalcio became deeply woven into Italian popular culture and mass-participation gaming.
The restoration of Sport Italia is intended not only to preserve gaming history but also to safeguard a broader documentary record of Italy’s social transformation through football, media, and collective engagement.
Marco Tiso, Managing Director of Sisal Italy, stated: “This project clearly reflects who we are: for 80 years, we have supported the country’s progress through responsibility and innovation, turning individual passions into shared experiences.”
“With the restoration of Sport Italia, we aim to preserve and make accessible a cultural heritage that forms part of our collective history—a tangible bridge between memory and the future.”
Tiso added: “Sport Italia stands as a significant example of how we have helped narrate the story of football and sport, contributing to its recognition as a phenomenon of cultural and social relevance. This is the value we celebrate today: a language that gives voice to passion and evolves alongside the changing landscape of sports entertainment.”
The event also underscored the increasing importance of restoration and conservation projects as collaborative efforts involving private enterprises, educational institutions, and cultural organizations.
Representatives from leading Italian conservation bodies participated in the conference, including the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, the Central Institute for Restoration, the La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre, and the Central Institute for Archive and Book Pathology.
The celebration coincides with a period of strong commercial performance for Sisal under the ownership of Flutter Entertainment. In Flutter’s Q1 2026 trading update, Sisal was recognized as a top performer within the group’s Southern Europe & Africa portfolio.
Flutter reported that Sisal has achieved a 31% market share in Italy’s newly regulated online gambling sector, introduced in November 2025, reaffirming the brand’s ongoing leadership in one of Europe’s most competitive regulated markets.
For Flutter, Sisal’s modern digital expansion represents the latest chapter in a brand whose roots are deeply intertwined with the history of Italian football, betting, and entertainment culture.
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