Government rejects draft land-based gambling reforms in Italy
More delay is likely after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office rejected proposals to reform Italy’s land-based gaming sector.
Italy.- The office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has rejected the long-delayed proposals to reform the regulations for land-based gambling in Italy. The government has reportedly returned the proposed Decreto di Riordino del Gioco Fisico to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) for review, extending a long drawn-out process further.
The MEF had published a draft decree following two years of negotiations with the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces. According to the specialist news site AgiProNews, one of the areas of contention is the minimum distance rules for gambling venues, with the government insisting on the continuation of regional authorities’ restrictions against venues near schools and other sensitive sites.
What the MEF proposed for land-based gambling in Italy
The MEF’s aim had been to create nationally standardised rules to replace the current patchwork of regional frameworks. This would include nationwide operating hours, venue certification, and concession requirements and distance requirements. The ministry argued that a standardised approach would benefit public health protections.
The proposed package also included a national definition of sensitive locations, a national operator register and new advertising rules and technical standards. However, national reforms often stall amid disputes between Rome and the regions over the control of key policy areas.
More delay likely
A new licensing framework for online gambling in Italy came into force in November last year. It had been hoped that reforms for the retail sector would follow this year before the government’s fiscal delegation powers expire on August 29. The Italian Parliament passes a framework law setting strict principles, guidelines and a time limit for the government to execute structural changes. That now looks unlikely. Even if approved by the Council of Ministers, the decree would still require sign-off from parliamentary committees and the regional conference.
The delay is bad news for the Treasury. New concession auctions were projected to raise between €1.8bn and €2bn in upfront licence fees. For now, the government intends to extend existing retail gambling concessions until December 31. Analysts suggest further extensions are likely and that reforms will be further delayed by at least another year.
Industry association AGIC, whose members include major operators like Flutter Entertainment (owner of Snaitech and Sisal), Lottomatica, Entain, bet365 and Brightstar, has warned that repeated extensions have left Italy’s retail gambling market without long-term certainty for nearly a decade, discouraging investment and slowing modernisation.
Meanwhile, other developments in Italy have seen proposals for a new dedicated football betting levy to fund the sport. Senator Paolo Marcheschi’s Bill 1902 would impose a 2 per cent tax on all football bets placed in Italy, both those placed at retail betting shops and online platforms, from January 1, 2027. The proposal is intended to be revenue neutral for operators, with funds redirected from the existing tax proceeds from domestic football bets.
