Italy’s land-based gambling reforms dropped from government agenda
The draft Land-based Gambling Reorganisation Decree no longer appears on the agenda for this year.
Italy.- Following the rejection of Italy’s draft Land-based Gambling Reorganisation Decree by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office late last week, it’s been confirmed that land-based gambling reforms no longer form part of the government’s legislative agenda for this year. Both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate noted the absence of the measure on the Council of Ministers’ policy schedule.
While Meloni’s office had reportedly returned the proposed Decreto di Riordino del Gioco Fisico to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) for review, reports in Italian media suggest there’s now little chance for the long-delayed reforms to be addressed this year. Meloni has instructed the MEF, which created the draft decree, to instead concentrate instead on the 2027 Budget and broader fiscal reforms.
The Gambling Reorganisation decree’s original aim was to establish more standardised uniform oversight under the ADM, Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency, replacing the patchwork of local restrictions. However, it was held up by over two years of negotiations with the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, representing regions and municipalities, over issues such as revenue and local influence over rules for gambling venue distances, operating hours, and licence approvals.
One of the areas of contention is the minimum distance rules for gambling venues, with regional authorities seeking a continuation of their local restrictions against venues near schools and other sensitive sites. The government already intended to extend existing retail gambling concessions until December 31. Analysts suggest further extensions are now likely and that reforms will be delayed by at least another year.
The delay is bad news for the Treasury. New concession auctions were projected to raise between €1.8bn and €2bn in upfront licence fees. MEF figures show that Italian gaming tax revenues fell 6.3 per cent year‑on‑year to €3.64bn in the first half of 2026, while indirect receipts from lotteries and other activities dropped 8.4 per cent to €3.07bn. Gaming machines generated €2.47bn in tax, down 7.3 per cent.
Industry association AGIC, whose members include major operators like Flutter Entertainment (owner of Snaitech and Sisal), Lottomatica, Entain, bet365 and Brightstar, has warned that repeated extensions have left Italy’s retail gambling market without long-term certainty for nearly a decade, discouraging investment and slowing modernisation.
Meanwhile, other developments in Italy have seen proposals for a new dedicated football betting levy to fund the sport. Senator Paolo Marcheschi’s Bill 1902 would impose a 2 per cent tax on all football bets placed in Italy, both those placed at retail betting shops and online platforms, from January 1, 2027. The proposal is intended to be revenue neutral for operators, with funds redirected from the existing tax proceeds from domestic football bets.
https://focusgn.com/italys-land-based-gambling-reforms-dropped-from-government-agenda