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Sisal, Italy’s oldest gambling operator, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this May, marking eight decades of innovation in football pools, betting markets, and public lotteries that defined Italian gambling history.
Established in 1945 by journalists Massimo Della Pergola, Fabio Jegher, and Geo Molo, Sisal was created to fund post-war sports reconstruction. In May 1946, the company introduced the first Schedina (football pools coupon), the foundation of Totocalcio, now managed by Sport Italia Società a Responsabilità Limitata.
As part of the anniversary, Sisal launched Memorie di Carta, a cultural initiative to restore the original Sport Italia publication from the 1946 Schedina contest. The event, held at Milan’s Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense, highlights the recovery of the first six editions, celebrating Totocalcio’s impact on Italian sports culture.
The restoration project, in partnership with Botticino Restoration School, united cultural institutions, restoration experts, and gaming leaders. Marco Tiso, Managing Director of Sisal Italy, said, “This project reflects our 80-year journey of supporting Italy’s evolution through responsibility and innovation, turning passions into shared experiences.”
Totocalcio, alongside products like Totip and SuperEnalotto, became a cultural phenomenon, deeply embedded in Italian mass participation gaming. The restoration effort preserves not only gambling history but also a broader narrative of Italy’s social transformation through football and media.
Under Flutter Entertainment, Sisal remains a market leader, achieving a 31% share in Italy’s newly regulated online gambling sector since November 2025. This success reflects the brand’s enduring legacy in Europe’s most competitive gambling markets.
