Final draft imminent for Italy’s land-based gaming reforms
The Conferenza Unificata is reviewing final details for the long-awaited overhaul of land-based gaming regulations in Italy.
Italy.- The Council of Ministers is expected to release the final draft of its legislative decree on land-based gambling in Italy on April 10 following years of negotiations. Conferenza Unificata, the institution that represents the country’s 20 regions and 110 municipalities, is currently reviewing final concessions.
There was a revamp of the framework for online gambling in Italy last year with the completion of a new licensing process in November. Now land-based gaming reforms will introduce a more unified regulatory framework for the sector replacing the current patchwork approach, with stricter rules on venue operating hours and minimum distance requirements.
Under the new concession model for land-based gambling activities, gaming machine operations will be subject to a minimum bid of €25m for packages including 4,000 AWPs and 900 VLTs. Retail betting shops will be able to apply for bundles of 25 licences priced at €60,000 each, with a base bid of €1.5m, while bingo hall licences will have a starting bid of €350,000 per venue.
Licensed operators will have to undergo a certification system, with venues required to be at least 100 metres away from sensitive sites, such as schools. Oversight will be strengthened through a permanent committee monitoring problem gambling, while there will be tighter anti-money laundering controls led by the regulator, the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM).
The reforms have been held up by negotiations with regional and municipal authorities over the distribution of tax revenue. Agreements have been reached to grant regions an initial €80m under a revenue sharing arrangement mandated by the 2026 Budget Law.
The drawn out process of negotiations has seen current gaming, betting, and bingo concessions granted temporary extensions. It’s hoped that the reforms will be signed off by August 29 to bring that to an end.
According to local industry news site Agipro, gaming machine tax revenue fell by €250m in 2025. That’s sparked concerns that delays in the drafting of the reforms were fuelling the unlicensed market, now estimated at €30–35bn across retail and online channels.
Meanwhile, the communication watchdog Agcom has accepted proposed recommendations to establish a formal framework for responsible gambling messages. The agency now plans to start a one-month public consultation on the proposed guidelines for how operators should present responsible gambling messages to the public.
