The game was dreamt up as a way to stop retailers and service providers underreporting cash sales in order to pay less tax and will involve around 2.8 million firms across the country, who currently turn over a combined €500 billion. The receipt lottery was approved earlier this year in the government’s budget and trials were set to begin in November, with a full roll out due in 2018.
A major stumbling block at the moment is that no “single document of sale” has been created yet, which would be needed to standardise the various different types of receipts and invoices currently generated as proof of purchase by Italian businesses.
A similar scheme was recently announced in Greece, where 1,000 players each month will receive €1,000 purely by paying firms using debit and credit cards rather than in cash. The Greek government wants to make it easier to track the movement of money around the country and stamp out tax evasion, which has rocketed since austerity measures were introduced and inflation rose sharply. The Greek game will begin in the next few weeks.
Fans of Italian lotteries can take part in Si Vince Tutto tonight, before SuperEnalotto returns on Thursday evening with a mighty €69.7 million jackpot. Choose your numbers online right now.