THE REGULATION OF SPORTS BETTING IN ITALY

The sports betting market is one of the most heavily regulated yet sensitive sectors of the Italian sports economy.

Its legal framework sits at the intersection of competition law, administrative regulation, and sports justice, involving a wide array of actors, from the state to sports federations, private operators, and supervisory bodies, each of them with specific roles and responsibilities.

Italy has developed a hybrid regulatory model, combining a state monopoly over public gaming with a gradual opening of the market to private operators. These operators are licensed and supervised by both the Italian Competition Authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)) and the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM)).

The central challenge in regulating sports betting in Italy is to maintain a delicate balance between economic freedom and sporting integrity; between market access and fraud prevention; and between federative autonomy and public oversight.

Under Law No. 287 of 10 October 1990, Italian competition law applies to all economic activities, including those in the sports sector. European Union (EU) case law has clarified that sports federations and governing bodies, when engaged in commercial or economic activity, qualify as “undertakings” and are, therefore, subject to competition rules.

Consequently, activities linked to sports betting must be evaluated under antitrust principles, particularly regarding restrictive agreements, abuse of a dominant position, and market concentrations that may significantly reduce competition. Whilst the AGCM recognises the unique characteristics of sport, systemic exemptions do not exist: sports rules are bound by competition law whenever they generate economic effects on the betting market or related services.

The state monopoly under Legislative Decree No. 496/1948 remains the foundation of Italian sports betting regulation, assigning the management of gambling and betting activities to the state. This reserve, however, does not constitute a de facto monopoly, as the collection and intermediation of bets are delegated to private operators licensed by the ADM. The ADM sets strict technical, financial, and ethical requirements for operators, ensuring both transparency and equal market access.

The Ministerial Decree of 1 August 20 No. 145 modernised the regulation of fixed-odds betting on sports and non-sports events, redefining operational limits, collection procedures, and conditions for licence suspension or revocation. This framework aims to reconcile public order and security with market competitiveness and economic freedom, as protected by Article 41 of the Italian Constitution and EU law.

Transparency and market access form the bedrock of the Italian sports betting regime. Licences must be granted through open, transparent, and non-discriminatory procedures, in line with EU principles of free competition and equal treatment. Automatic renewals without objective justification may raise antitrust concerns, and the AGCM has consistently emphasised the importance of objective selection criteria and periodic competitive procedures to prevent privileged positions or de facto market dominance.

Equally, regulatory powers must be interpreted according to the principle of proportionality. State intervention should never exceed what is strictly necessary to achieve objectives of public order, integrity, and consumer protection. The market should not be closed, but carefully regulated, so that economic freedom coexists with safeguards against abuse, money laundering, and illegal betting. The ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship, although justified on public health grounds, reduces the visibility of licensed operators compared to unlicensed platforms, underlining the importance of distinguishing between aggressive promotion and transparent, informative communication.

Regulation of sports betting in Italy is inseparable from the protection of competition integrity. Article 1 of Law No. 401/1989 criminalises sporting fraud and match manipulation. Sports federations, primarily the FIGC (the Italian Football Federation), have implemented strict rules prohibiting members from betting on competitions under their jurisdiction, requiring reporting of suspicious behaviour, and imposing disciplinary measures proportionate to the severity of violations, including suspensions, bans, fines, relegations, and tournament exclusion.

These measures are grounded in strict liability principles and sports ethics, whilst safeguarding the right to defence and compliance with constitutional (Article 24) and international (Article 6 European Convention on Human Rights) standards.

Despite the maturity of the system, structural challenges persist. Licensing rigidity and high costs can limit market entry and competition. Overlapping regulations from the state, ADM, and sports federations create interpretive uncertainty. Disciplinary rules may, occasionally, be applied disproportionately to their preventive purpose, and the interaction between state law and federative autonomy is not always seamless, which leads to potential conflicts and duplicative sanctions.

Addressing these challenges requires an integrated governance model, in which the ADM exercises technical oversight; the AGCM ensures market competition; sports federations safeguard the integrity and fairness of competitions; and sports justice bodies supervise prevention and enforcement. Only through effective coordination between public regulation and sports autonomy can fair competition, consumer protection, and the preservation of sporting values be ensured.

The Italian online betting system is centered around the ADM, a state authority that issues licences, enforces regulations, conducts inspections, and imposes sanctions. Non-compliant operators have no legal foothold: compliance with ADM regulations is mandatory.

The Legislative Decree 41/2024, effective in 2025, reshaped the regulatory landscape. Licences are now limited to 50, valid for nine years, with an upfront cost of €7 million (around Sw. Frs. 6.5   million) plus a 3% annual fee on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR). This represents the most expensive licensing framework in Europe, designed to limit access to technologically advanced, financially robust, and reliable operators.

Key rules under this framework include a ban on duplicate or “skin” sites; a maximum of five licences per corporate group; a registry of physical recharge points (PVR) to reduce cash usage and ensure transactional traceability; a total ban on gambling advertising under the 2018 Dignity Decree; and mandatory responsible gambling campaigns, with operators required to spend up to €1 million (around Sw. Frs. 929,000) annually.

As a result, several established operators, such as Unibet, Betclic, and Giochi24, withdrew in 2025, citing unsustainable market conditions. ADM-licensed platforms must meet technical standards comparable to financial institutions, including uptime, data protection, AML compliance, and system security.

Between 2026 and 2035, 46 operators hold ADM licences, each linked to a single gaming site. Major licensees include bet365, Goldbet, SNAI, Sisal, Lottomatica, Eurobet, Starcasinò, William Hill, Betsson, AdmiralBet, StarVegas, and Marathonbet. Each platform must prominently display the ADM logo and licence number to ensure player confidence and legality.

The Italian licensing framework is fully EU-compliant. Licences are available to any EU operator meeting ADM criteria, AML (Anti Money Laundering) Directives are enforced through Legislative Decree 231/2007; GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliance is mandatory; and e-Privacy standards are strictly observed. Italy has pioneered player protection mechanisms, including the Unified Self-Exclusion Registry (RUA) and mandatory digital identity verification via Public Identity System (SPID) or Electronic Identity Card (CIE), with age verification required upon site entry rather than just at registration—a method which is ahead of many of Italian peers in Europe.

However, Italy remains more restrictive than other EU jurisdictions. Advertising is banned entirely, licensing costs are exceptionally high, and only 50 licences are available. This creates a hybrid model: fully EU-compliant, yet nationally stringent, and considered a benchmark for secure and responsible online gambling.

ADM enforces comprehensive responsible gambling safeguards. Users must set weekly deposit limits upon account creation, and platforms must offer tools for session, daily, or monthly playtime limits and net loss restrictions. The RUA allows self-exclusion across all ADM operators, with access blocked in real time using SPID or CIE. Forced identity verification ensures accounts cannot be used under pseudonyms, and financial transactions are traceable, tied to verified account holders, and subject to ISO/IEC 27001- balances certified data security protocols. Player funds are protected in the event of default by operators, covering winnings and tax obligations.

We advise on all aspects of sports betting in Italy and further information is available by emailing the Head of our Italian Law Practice, Avv. Sara Botti, at botti@valloni.ch.