Within roughly 10 days, Maurizio Leo, Italy’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, is expected to bring a new decree to the Council of Ministers regarding the reorganisation of land-based gambling. The plans for reorganisation of the sector have been underway for some time.
The reorganisation aims to harmonise regional and municipal regulations, particularly regarding operating hours and the proximity of operators' venues to sensitive locations. Furthermore, it also seeks to define regulatory principles for new licences covering AWPs, VLTs, betting shops and bingo halls.
The Government is seeking to reform the industry that has become fragmented over time, with differing regional rules and divided responsibilities.
Speaking at the National Anti-Fraud Conference hosted by the Customs and Monopolies Agency, Leo outlined the objective of creating a unified national framework for land-based gambling supported by clearly defined concession tenders.
The decree forms a key part of the wider tax reform programme, which is due to be completed by summer 2026.
This deadline is significant as the restructuring of land-based gambling is required before new concession tenders can be issued, otherwise existing licences may continue to be extended.
One of the most sensitive issues is the relationship with regional Governments, which are seeking a share of the gambling tax revenue generated locally. Negotiations are ongoing and will be essential to avoid institutional conflict.
Previous rumours suggested that the upcoming concession tenders could reduce the number of licences, raise the minimum bid and potentially alter market concentration limits. Such changes could favour large international operators and investment funds, disadvantaging small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Andrea de Bertoldi, an independent member of the Chamber of Deputies, expressed concern that if the rumours are accurate, the sector may be moving towards an oligopoly.
Final approval is still required from the Council of Ministers, parliamentary committees and the Unified Conference.
The ADM has reported €11.47bn ($13.42bn) in gambling revenue for the state budget in 2025, a slight 0.74% decrease from the previous year
