The Council of Ministers in Italy is preparing to publish the final version of revamped land-based gambling legislation by April 10. This new legislation will introduce tighter controls on gambling venues, new licensing formats, and give regional authorities more vital roles.
Italy’s Council of Ministers is mulling over the final draft of its legislative decree on brick-and-mortar gambling amendments with a plan to publish it on April 10. The Conferenza Unificata, Italian for Unified Conference, representing 20 regions of Italy and over 100 municipalities, is currently reviewing the decree before eventual publication early next month.
This radical reform agenda kicked off back in 2023, mainly focused on internet gambling, and culminated in an overhauled regulatory regime that debuted in November last year. Now, the focus has been transferred to land-based gambling, where tighter controls and revamped concession frameworks are to be rolled out in the second week of April.
One of the main components of Italy’s new legislative decree is tougher restrictions on land-based gambling establishments. For instance, there are limits placed on operation hours and new requirements to enforce minimum distance guidelines between gambling venues and ‘sensitive sites’ like public institutions, hospitals, and schools.
Additionally, the new regulations will unveil a revamped structure to guide concessions in retail gambling across different verticals as follows:
a) Gaming Machines: Bids start at €25 million for offerings that include 900 VLTs (Video Lottery Terminals) and 4,000 Amusement and Prize machines.
b) Retail Gambling: There are 25-license bundles carrying a €60K price tag each. This means bids start at €1.5 million.
c) Bingo: €350k will be charged for each establishment to cover about 210 venues.
This regulatory revamp was set in motion in the midst of increasing pressure on the Italian gambling scene, especially the gaming machines, following a €250 million tax revenue drop last year.
Policy makers in Italy have been raising alarm over the delayed implementation of regulated gambling reforms as the unlicensed gambling scene continues expanding rapidly. Recent data points out that the unregulated gambling market in Italy across online and retail channels could probably have hit a value of up to €35 million. Industry observers, however, expect that this trend will be nipped in the bud when compliance is tightened and regulations are properly enforced.
One of the fundamental elements of the legislative decree is a new model for sharing revenue, aimed at increasing participation within Italian state lines. As a result, under provisions outlined in the 2026 Budget Law, regional authorities will receive a total of €80 million.
On top of that, licensed gambling operators will be allowed to launch establishments within at least 100 meters of the so-called sensitive locations as long as they abide by the new requirements. To enhance regulatory oversight, the legislation provides for the creation of a permanent committee for keeping tabs on problem gambling while also ensuring tighter anti-money laundering measures under the ADM’s guidance.
Notably, it is critical for Italian lawmakers to finalize the decree before the expiration of the fiscal delegation law on August 29. This would allow for the end of continual extension of present betting, bingo and gaming machines concessions, which will be expiring on December 31.
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