The Group’s commitment to sustainability stems from the belief that it is essential, given the particular nature of the sector in which the Group operates, to temper business development with concern for the social repercussions that may arise.
The Group’s sustainability strategy is therefore inspired by the belief that responsible growth is the only possible way of ensuring a constant value creation for all stakeholders, shareholders, and employees. In the company vision, responsibility is therefore one of the key drivers for strengthening brand reputation and for inspiring confidence among customers and stakeholders alongside other drivers more directly related to the management of the business. The year 2009 was one of progress for the Group’s sustainability policy.

As regards certain lines of action which have already been in place for various years, a number of accreditations were received which prove the quality, continuity and solidity of the approach adopted several years ago.

This was the case, in particular, for the responsible gaming and stakeholder engagement initiatives while, as far as other more recent initiatives are concerned, significant progress was made in making the intervention more structured and integrated into company’s life.
This applies in particular to environmental sustainability for which the Group, despite operating in a sector with a relatively modest environmental impact, has set precise improvement targets both for 2009 and for future years.
Added to this is the commitment toward the local community.
It represented the first strand of a sustainability strategy that is now much broader still constituting an important element through which the company integrates and interactswith the reality inwhich it operates.
The sustainability report is now established as a tool not only for corporate communication and social dialogue, but also for managing the company and for defining the commitments and objectives assumed with respect to all stakeholders.

Moreover, the sustainability report is also use as a toll for providing management with the information required to implement and assess strategies in the field.
Here too, the robust approach, the transparency, and wealth of information contained in the report is demonstrated by the fact that the last edition was accredited by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) - the agency that supervises the definition and application of the international social reporting standard - at A+, the highest level possible. The subject of stakeholder engagement and therefore the expectations gathered thanks to the permanent dialogue with each stakeholder, as well as the activities carried out in 2009 and the commitments assumed for 2010 are dealt with in this chapter.

The same applies to the key subject of responsible gaming, which is dealt with both in relation to Italian activities, which have a direct impact on the player, and in relation to the activities of GTECH, which supports operators by supplying solutions and technology that allow for a responsible gaming approach.