Italy prepares for reforms on land-based gambling venues

In Italy, the Ministry of Finance is facing pressure to deliver on reforms to the country’s land-based gambling outlets. 

Amendments and modernisation are envisaged as part of the ‘Reorganisation of Gambling Decree’ passed two years ago by the incumbent Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, who authorised the first meaningful review of Italian gambling legislation since 2011. 

Dialogue has been ongoing since last year with representatives of Italy’s 20 autonomous regions on top-level federal rules and standards that will be applied to all land-based venues as well as local gambling subsidiaries.

As reported by SBC, a general consensus is said to be in place, backed by the Conferenza Unificata (CU) body of regional administrations, but other local lawmakers and councillors want to secure further concessions.

As part of the negotiations, CU had asked for the national government to allocate 5% of slot machine revenues to regional authorities, with €300 million wanted to put necessary player protections in place, including safer gambling practices, intervention measures, and venue monitoring support.

Retail gambling is Italy’s most lucrative slice of the pie, accounting for €16.5 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) of the total €21.5 billion in 2024, which provided €10.2 billion in tax revenues compared to a contribution of just €1.3b from online gambling. 

Deputy Finance Minister Maurizio Leo is currently reviewing the draft decree from a position of previous engagement, after he performed a key role in the 2024 reforms of Italy’s online gambling and licensing setup.

Against this wider backdrop, there have also been discussions on the role of gambling sponsorship in Italian soccer, with a ban imposed in recent years set to be lifted. 

As one of the major European leagues, Serie A is keen to secure vital backing from the betting industry to help its clubs compete at the top level, but there will be compromises. 

Discussions have taken place on drafting a “Decree on Gambling Sponsorships,” which would specifically address sponsorship regulations while largely keeping other gambling advertising restrictions intact.

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