Stake’s Fabio A. Bufalini on What It Takes to Launch in Italy’s €6bn Regulated Market
Launching an international gaming brand in a regulated market takes far more than global recognition. In an exclusive Fabio A. Bufalini interview with iGaming News Today, the Country Director Italy at Stake set out what actually decides whether a launch works, drawing on his time at PokerStars, PartyGaming, Betsson and now Stake.
Bufalini told iGaming News Today that international reputation counts for little on day one. A well-known brand often has to build its presence from scratch in a market like Italy. Success comes from understanding the local market, adapting to its regulations, and accepting that what works elsewhere may not work locally. The real shift, he said, is in mindset, and it is usually the hardest part of the job.
On the market itself, he described Italy as the fifth-largest in the world and second in Europe after the UK, with the online sector expected to generate around €6 billion this year. He noted that licensing reform reshaped it completely, cutting more than 400 licensed domains down to 52 licences across 46 companies and raising the licence fee from €200,000 to €7 million. Even as a mature market, he said, Italy still grows around 15% a year.
Asked what matters most when building a brand from the ground up, his answer was simple: the team. On growth, he starts with the product, telling iGaming News Today that pushing acquisition before the product is ready only pays to attract players who leave after one session.
In the full interview, Bufalini also covers how Stake is using AI across reporting, analytics and operations, where he draws the line on replacing people, why responsible gaming and growth have to move together under the new Italian framework, and his one piece of advice for anyone starting out.
