Italian regulator aims to settle disputes with sports betting operators
The ADM says it has begun working on new decrees on “palpable errors” and “bonus management”.
Italy.- The Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency, ADM, has announced that it is working on two new decrees on sports betting that aim to resolve areas of contention with operators. It intends to update rules on “palpable errors” and “bonus management”.
These decrees will be separate from the ongoing reorganisation of gambling regulation in Italy. The first will involve the introduction of a new procedure for operators to report “clear mistakes” and “market corrections”.
Operators will have to request the correction of odds through an application system providing certain details. The ADM has yet to define the conditions for corrections but says it will consider the technical issues that can cause mistakes. The aim is to prevent customer disputes having to go to court.
In terms of bonus management, the ADM is reviewing how bonuses are rewarded with an eye to defining terms and conditions and thereby ensure the “practical use of bonuses as a customer incentive”. A procedure will be established for operators to report the actual cost of bonuses when filing accounts, something that operators have called for. Under Italian rules, bookmakers cannot pay out more than a €100 bonus per customer on fixed-odds bets.
The ADM says it expects to publish initial proposals within weeks. Meanwhile, Italy is advancing with a reorganisation of gambling. Mario Lollobrigida, head of gaming at the ADM, is to lead the next phase of the planned gambling reforms following the Italian Senate’s approval of the country’s Tax Delegation Law. The ADM is expected to submit a draft of legislative decrees by September 20.
