Italian regulator to review “hypocritical” gambling ad ban
The rules for gambling advertising and sponsorship will be reviewed in 2025.
Italy.- The director of Italy’s customs and monopolies agency, ADM, which also regulates gambling, has pledged to review gambling ad restrictions in the new year. Roberto Alesse told La Verità that current ban on gambling adverts was a “hypocritical regulation” and was not appropriate for “a liberal state”.
Alesse said the restrictions, which were introduced in the Dignity Decree of 2018, would be reviewed in 2025 as Italy prepares to launch its new licensing framework for online gambling. A lottery tender is to be launched this week.
Alesse, who replaced Marcello Minenna at the helm of the ADM last year, said: “We are working to adapt national standards to those required by Europe, but let us clarify that the broader reform will overturn the so-called Dignity Decree, which prohibited the sponsorship of public games, harming the country’s economy. It is about aligning the system with international standards. In a liberal state, legal gambling cannot endure excessive prohibitions.”
Gambling operators along with media operators and Serie A football clubs have long opposed Italy’s ban on gambling ads and sponsorship.
Alesse also said that the ADM is waiting for a preparatory text from minister Maurizio Leo and the State-Regions Conference to introduce federal laws to tackle illegal gambling. He said he hoped that together the reforms will see Italy lead the European gambling sector in terms of tax revenues following a decline in Italian gambling tax revenue for the year up until September 30.
The new framework for online gambling licences in Italy will see the ADM issue nine-year licences, which will cost €7m a piece. Operators will also pay annual fee representing 3 per cent of gross gambling revenue on top of standard taxes. Operators will only be allowed to operate one app and website for each product type. Skin websites promoting branded products are not allowed.
The Ministry of Finance justified the increased licence fees on the grounds that the market has changed and is now dominated by major multinational operators. However, the ADM expects that around 50 operators will apply for new licences. It expects €350m from initial licence fees and €100m from annual fees.
Meanwhile, the ADM has faced an obstacle to its decree on the Register of Online Top-Up Points of Sale, which ordered the creation of a register as a prerequisite for operators that manage physical recharge points that allow customers to top up online gaming accounts. The Lazio Regional Administrative Court has suspended the decree due to appeals by operators. A ruling on the merits has been scheduled for February 12.
