Italian Serie A clubs are pushing for Government support to reform and strengthen the football system following the national team’s poor performances and repeated failure to qualify for the World Cup.
A key element of their proposal is a review of Italy’s “Dignity Decree”, introduced in 2018, which imposed a blanket ban on gambling advertising.
Several club executives argue that the current rules put Serie A at a competitive disadvantage compared to other European leagues, where betting sponsorship and partnerships are common.
Alongside a potential easing of advertising restrictions, clubs are also proposing a direct redistribution model linked to betting revenue generated from football matches.
This would involve allocating a fixed percentage of betting turnover to the sport, a framework already used in several European countries. The proposal includes a 1% levy on bets placed on football events.
In Italy, sports betting turnover in 2024 reached €22.8bn, with €16.1bn generated from football. A 1% share would amount to around €160m.
The clubs have selected their candidate for the top federal role and drawn up a detailed 29-point manifesto, highlighted by Lega president Simonelli and submitted to member clubs.
Their wider reform agenda focuses on strengthening Italian football across several areas. These include incentives and faster bureaucratic procedures for new stadium construction, greater investment in youth development partly funded through betting revenues, improved coaching standards and upgraded infrastructure.
The agenda is still being finalised, with clubs expected to meet again within the next one to two weeks to consolidate their proposals into a unified plan.
Meanwhile, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi has supported the idea of allowing clubs to receive a share of betting revenue generated from football matches.
Speaking to the Senate’s Seventh Commission, he said that a portion of betting revenues should be recognised for the organisers of the sporting events on which bets are placed.
He also backed public support for new stadium projects, noting that state funding could help bridge financing gaps even where projects are formally privately led.
Recently, Serie A Club Lazio announced a new multi-year partnership with Polymarket, which will become the club’s main sponsor and its official fan intelligence and digital insights partner.
The Italian Government is advancing plans to reorganise the land-based gambling network. The ADM has drafted proposals to restructure the sector, though they are still under review.
The Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has recently published its quarterly Statistical Bulletin, showing that the gambling sector contributed €11.47bn to the state budget in 2025, a slight 0.74% year-on-year decrease
