Italy has brought into force a €100 ($108) weekly limit on online gaming account top-ups made in cash at authorised top-up points of sale, known as PVRs.
The measure took effect on 13 May, following a trial period that began on 16 March, and is part of the framework introduced through Legislative Decree 41/2024.
The rule applies to cash and other authorised payment instruments used at PVR outlets.
These methods must be capable of ensuring the traceability of financial flows, with the gaming account holder required to indicate the instrument to the concessionaire before validation.
Under the system, top-ups can only be made at authorised stores at the request of the account holder. The merchant is responsible for verifying the player’s identity before completing the transaction.
The mechanism is intended to address a previous gap in oversight, where operators had limited ability to verify whether weekly cash top-up limits were being respected across the retail network.
The change comes as Italy continues to restructure its remote gambling sector. Legislative Decree 41/2024 introduced a new concession model overseen by the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), with higher entry costs, longer licence terms and tighter compliance requirements for online casino, poker, bingo and sports betting operators.
The reforms also reflect the growing role of digital gambling in Italy’s legal market. In 2024, total legal gaming turnover reached €157.4bn, while actual player spending stood at €21.5bn after winnings.
Online gambling has been a major driver of that growth, increasing sharply since 2019.
Authorities have framed the latest PVR controls as both an anti-fraud measure and a player-protection tool. The source article also cited concerns around illegal gambling, which it said represents a €30bn market outside the state-regulated system.
The measure arrives during wider political debate over gambling regulation in Italy. Democratic Party MPs Stefano Vaccari and Virginio Merola have presented a resolution to the Chamber of Deputies’ Finance Committee calling for future reform of the sector.
Earlier this month, Democratic Party MPs asked ministers to examine whether Lazio’s $22m shirt sponsorship with Polymarket could amount to indirect promotion of an unlicensed prediction market platform under Italian gambling and advertising law.
Italy’s new traceability mechanism follows control tests launched on 16 March, before the €100 weekly PVR restriction took effect in May
