The card game market - Italy (2023)

1.2 The global market

The global card game market is a rapidly growing industry, with several segments contributing to its overall value. These segments include traditional card games, collectible card games, and trading card games. The growing popularity of these games, both in physical and digital formats, has led to significant market expansion in recent years.

Card Games and Board Games:

In ****, the global card and board games market was valued at USD **,***.** million and is expected to reach USD **,***.** million by ****, showing a compound annual growth rate (***) of *.**%.[***]

Market value of card and board games World, ****-****, billion dollars Researchreportsworld

Trading Card Games:

In ****, the global collectible card games market was valued at USD **,***.** million and is expected to grow at a CAGR of **.*% over the forecast period, reaching USD **,***.* million.[***]

Value of the collectible card games market World, ****-***, billions of dollars Marketresearch.com

Cards:

Global card market also shows solid growth, with a CAGR of *.*%.[***]

Value of the cards market World, ****-****, billion dollars Globenewswire

1.3 The Italian market

The card game market includes various types of activities and is not framed in a specific category, however, we can study it through the analysis of the value (***) of various sectors identified in Italy by the following Ateco codes:

Production of card games:

If the activity is related to the production of card games, it falls under ATECO code **.**.** - "Manufacture of games and toys."This market declined between **** and ****, with an overall decrease of **.* percent. The lowest value was recorded in **** with €***.* million.

Market value of the manufacture of games and toys Italy, ****-****, € million Istat

Retail sale of card games:

If the activity is related to the retail sale of card games, it falls under ATECO code **.**.** - "Retail sale of games and toys in specialized establishments."This sector showed an overall decrease of **.** percent between **** and ****, largely due to the effects of covid.

Market value of games and toys retail trade in specialized establishments Italy, ****-****, € billion Istat

1.4 Import-Export

The analysis of playing card trade flows will be carried out through the study of data on HS code ****** relating precisely to playing cards. Three aspects will be presented:

Import-export trends in recent years Main countries of origin of imports Main destinations of exports

Historical trend:

Export and import valuesof playing cards in Italy from **** to **** show different trends. Exports increased from $**.** million in **** to $**.** million in ****, marking a growth of about ***.* percent. On the other hand, imports rose significantly from $**.** million in **** to $**.** million in ****, reflecting a growth of about ***.* percent. The coverage ratio, which is the ratio of export to import, decreased from *.** in **** to *.** in ****, indicating a worsening trade balance for this product.

Trade flows of playing cards Italy, ****-****, millions of dollars UNComtrade

Imports:

The main source countries for imports are the United States, Belgium, Germany, China, and Poland. The United States alone composes more than ** percent of total imports.

Main countries of origin for playing card imports Italy, ****, millions of dollars UNComtrade Export:

The main destinations of Italian playing card exports are Germany, Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Here we find a less concentrated distribution than in imports, these five countries together ...

1.5 The impact of the conflict in Ukraine

The outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in February **** resulted in, among other things, a general increase in the consumer price index. However, it appears that the games and toys manufacturing sector, which includes the manufacture of playing cards, has not been particularly affected by the general price increases seen in other sectors, at least as far as Italy is concerned.

The producer price index for this market has remained more or less stable over the past * years, with a slight spike in January **** that, however, immediately normalized back to in line with previous values, even lower than in ****.

Producer price index for games and toys Italy, ****-****, base index ****= *** Istat

2.1 The question

The trend in demand for playing cards in our country can be deduced from an analysis of the average monthly household expenditure on games and hobbies, which includes spending on cards.

We immediately note that although this category is quite large, the value of spending is very low, The trend in recent years has been rather up and down, it saw a peak in ****, with spending of *.** euros, and then underwent mixed changes in subsequent years. The percentage change between **** and **** shows a decrease in spending: starting from *.** euros per household per month in **** to *.** euros in ****, which represents a decrease of about **.* percent.

Average monthly household spending on games and hobbies Italy, ****-****, €/month Istat

st

2.2 Demand drivers

The demand for playing cards in Italy can be attributed to various cultural, historical, and market factors:

Cultural Tradition: Playing cards have a long history in Italy and are considered a symbol of Italian culture. The use of playing cards is ingrained in Italian culture, and many traditional card games are popular throughout the country.[***] Variety of Games: Italy has a wide range of traditional card games that have been played for several generations. This variety of games contributes to the demand for playing cards in the country.[***] Local Production: There are some historical companies in Italy, such as Modiano, that specialize in the production of playing cards. The availability of local manufacturers can help keep the playing card tradition alive in Italy and meet local demand.[***] Entertainment: Playing cards are an accessible and social form of entertainment. Card games provide an opportunity for social interaction and entertainment, which can drive demand, especially in a social and family context.

2.3 Geographical distribution of demand

The average expenditure of Italians in the category that includes playing cards varies, though not excessively, depending on the territory considered. The north records the highest figure, with *.** €/month, followed by the center and the south, with values of *.** €/month and *.** €/month, respectively.

2.4 Gambling

The gambling landscape in Italy is constantly changing, with a growing preference for online gambling. Revenue from gambling in **** reached **,*** million euros, showing an increase of **.* percent over the previous year.[***]

table { width: ***%; border-collapse: collapse; } th, td { border: *px solid black; padding: *px; text-align: left; } th { background-color: #f*f*f*; }

According to a **** report, about **.*% of Italians participate in card games with cash winnings such as Online Poker, Texas Holdem, and Black Jack. Specifically, **.*% of respondents said they never participate in these games, while **.*% said they participate sometimes.

Italians who play card games with cash winnings Italy, ****, % Pressgames

3.1 The market structure

To study the structure of the market in which card game companies operate, the card game and toy manufacturing industry is considered. Specifically, three different magnitudes are considered:

number of active enterprises number of employees legal form of active enterprises

Enterprises:

In the period between **** and ****, the game manufacturing sector in Italy showed a slight decline in the number of active enterprises. Initially, in ****, the sector had *** enterprises, while in ****, the number decreased to *** enterprises. This represents a negative percentage change of about -**.* percent over these five years.

Number of active enterprises in the game manufacturing sector Italy, ****-****, in number Istat

Number ofpeople employed:

In ****, the number of people employed was *,***, which dropped to *,*** in ****, registering a negative percentage change of about -**.* percent over this five-year period. This downward trend could be influenced by various factors, such as global competition, automation, or economic challenges, which may have led to rationalizations or staff reductions in the sector. The impact of the COVID-** pandemic in **** may have further exacerbated these challenges, leading to a contraction in employment.

Number of people employed in the game production sector Italy, ****-****, in numbers Istat

Legal Form:

S.r.l. is the most common ...

3.2 The value chain

3.3 Distribution

The distribution channels of card games are diverse; some of the main ones are listed below:

3.4 The main enterprises

The Italian card games market sees the presence of historical producers such as Cartamundi Italy, Modiano and Dal Negro, traditional physical casinos such as those in Sanremo and Venice, and emerging online platforms such as BurracOnline and King.com. The following table provides an overview of the key players in these areas, highlighting the diversity and evolution of the industry from physical production to digital enjoyment of card games:

4.1 Card games in Italy

Playing cards made their appearance in Italy in the **th century, with some historical evidence confirming their use in Tuscany, particularly in Florence[***]. The stylistic variability in card design, dependent mainly on geographic area, and the diversity of Italian playing card types reflect Italy's rich cultural diversity.

The following is a list of traditional Italian card games with a more detailed description:[***]

Scopa: Scopa is one of the most popular card games in Italy. It is played with a standard deck of ** Italian cards and can be played by * or * players. The objective of the game is to "discover" the cards of the opponents and try to get the highest possible score through various hands. Briscola: Briscola is another popular traditional game in Italy. Like Scopa, it is played with a deck of ** Italian cards. The game can be played by * to * players, and the goal is to get the highest possible score through various hands. There are many regional variations of Briscola, some of which are known as Briscola Chiamata or Briscolone. Seven and a Half: Seven and a Half is a game similar to Blackjack in which the objective is to get a card score as close to *.* as ...

4.2 The prices

Card deck prices can vary depending on factors such as brand, quality, and region, the following table provides a clear picture of prices charged in the Italian market for different types of card decks, including traditional Italian decks such as Milanese, as well as more specialized or thematic decks. The goal is to provide a detailed understanding of the options available to consumers and to allow an informed assessment of price differences between suppliers:

4.3 Major events in Italy

Events offer card game enthusiasts the opportunity to explore new games, participate in tournaments, and connect with the gaming community. The following table presents an overview of some of the card game-related events that will be held in Italy in ****:[***]

5.1 The legislative landscape

Cash game played live is considered gambling under Italian regulations, except for play in the * licensed casinos (***).

Online cash game is regulated by AAMS Decree No. ****/***/Cgv of February *, ****, published in the Official Gazette on March *, **** (***).

"Anyone who, in a public place or a place open to the public, or in private circles of any kind, keeps a game of chance or facilitates it shall be punished by arrest from three months to one year and a fine of not less than *** euros. If the offender is a habitual or professional offender, good behavior causation may be added to the probation."

So saysArticle *** of the Criminal Code, which protects the state interest in exercising well-defined control over gambling, regulating specific aggravating circumstances in the next provision, with a doubling of the penalty:

If the offender has established or kept a gambling house; If the act is committed in a public establishment; If significant stakes are engaged in the game; If among those participating in the game are persons under the age of eighteen years.

6.1 Segmentation

• Cartamundi Italy
• Mondiano
• Dal Negro
• Casinò de la Vallée
• Casinò di Sanremo
• Casinò di Venezia
• Casinò di Campione
• Nuova Eureka S.r.l. (Il Burraco)