Reshaping the Digital Landscape
Italy is revolutionizing its online gambling sector through comprehensive reforms centered on a nine-year licensing system. This ambitious overhaul aims to attract established operators while generating substantial revenue streams. At its core is a €7 million licensing fee, positioning Italy to become a major player in Europe’s regulated gambling market.
Financial Framework and Timeline
The licensing structure combines a substantial entry fee with ongoing operational costs. Each operator must make an initial €4 million payment upon license approval, followed by €3 million before launch. The government anticipates collecting €350 million in licensing fees, plus €100 million yearly from concession charges. Operators have until May 30, 2025, to submit applications, with a nine-month review period and six months to commence operations.
Market Entry Requirements
To maintain high industry standards, Italy has established stringent eligibility criteria. Operators must be based in the European Economic Area and demonstrate consistent financial performance, including €3 million in annual revenue over two years. The framework includes mandatory financial guarantees: a €750,000 provisional deposit and a €3.7 million final guarantee. Individual operators are limited to five licenses, ensuring market diversity.
Beyond Digital: Broader Reform Vision
The initiative extends to land-based gambling in 2025, addressing key industry challenges. A critical focus is reassessing the 2019 Dignity Decree, which banned gambling advertisements and sponsorships. Roberto Alesse, leading the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), advocates for alignment with European standards to foster sustainable growth while maintaining effective oversight.
Regional Harmonization and Future Outlook
The reform’s second phase targets standardization across Italy’s regions to combat illegal gambling and enhance consumer safety. Despite facing challenges, including recent tax revenue decline, Italy aims to establish itself as a pioneer in European gambling regulation. The ADM emphasizes the importance of balanced regulation that protects consumers while supporting industry growth.
Building a Sustainable Future
This comprehensive reform represents Italy’s commitment to creating a robust, regulated gambling market. By implementing strict standards while maintaining industry viability, Italy is positioning itself at the forefront of European gambling innovation. The success of these reforms will depend on their effective implementation and the industry’s ability to adapt to these new parameters.
Introduction to the Reorganisation of Gambling
Italy is making significant strides towards reforming its gambling laws, with a new framework for online gambling concessions now nearing completion. This initiative, driven by the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), aims to modernize both online and land-based gambling regulations under the ‘Reorganisation of Gambling’ decree. This move reflects a proactive approach to align Italy’s gambling laws with current market dynamics and technological advancements.
Final Stages of the Legislative Process
Recently, ADM submitted its proposed framework to the Treasury for review. Pending approval from both the Treasury and the Council of State, this documentation will fuse into the broader ‘Reorganisation of Gambling’ decree, poised to significantly overhaul Italy’s gambling regulations.
Before its formal adoption, the Ministry of Made in Italy (formerly known as the Ministry of Enterprise) will relay the technical rules to the European Commission for a thorough assessment. This part of the process includes a mandatory three-month ‘standstill period,’ a critical timeframe during which no further actions can be taken, ensuring a thorough evaluation by the Commission.
Economic Implications of the New Licensing Framework
Under the new regulations sanctioned by the Ministry of the Economy and Finance (MEF), online gambling concessions will be significantly more expensive. The MEF has set the concession fee at €7 million for nine years—a substantial increase from the €200,000 fee in 2018. This escalation, which represents a 35-fold increase, is justified by the presence of major gambling corporations such as SNAI (Playtech), Flutter Entertainment, Lottomatica, and Entain, highlighting the market’s evolution and the need for a robust regulatory framework.
Stricter Operational Guidelines
ADM has also revised the operational terms of concessions. The new framework prohibits skin gambling websites and restricts operators to manage only one brand per license. As reported by Agipronews, the requirement stipulates that each license must correspond to a single concessionaire and website, with mandatory separate apps for different product categories like betting, casino, poker, and bingo.
Moreover, the updated framework emphasizes enhanced IT security and closer integration of games and systems between operators and suppliers. Once the decree is enforced, all systems and games must undergo verification by an external certification body, ensuring a higher standard of security and integrity.
Enhanced Oversight and Future Plans
ADM will implement stricter controls to monitor how operators manage player funds, ensuring a more secure and reliable gambling environment. Looking ahead, ADM’s Head of the Online Office, Antonio Giuliani, announced plans to establish a D-day, marking the official transition to the new regime for existing operators while providing a six-month window for new entrants to adapt to the system.
Conclusion and Outlook
Should the new framework be implemented in 2024, it will achieve a critical objective of the ‘Reorganisation of Gambling’ decree by resolving longstanding legal disputes concerning concessions granted since 2011. This comprehensive reevaluation marks the first regulatory scrutiny of Italian gambling since the initial authorization of online gambling over a decade ago. The decree not only aims to protect vulnerable players, particularly minors but also seeks to combat criminal activities and boost tax revenue for social and governmental initiatives. Through these reforms, Italy sets a new standard for responsible and fair gambling practices in the digital age.
