Acadi president Geronimo Cardia criticised Italy’s gambling venue distance and opening-hour restrictions in an interview after a parliamentary conference. He said the limits apply to two of 33 types of games and called for general rules to replace existing measures.
The proposed shift towards general rules could affect how land-based gambling operators are regulated across Italy.
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ACADI president Geronimo Cardia said at a Rome event that Italy has not completed the territorial gambling reform required under Delegated Law No. 111/2023, whose deadline passed on 29 August. He argued that differing regional and municipal restrictions leave the land-based sector without an overall framework and create uncertainty for concession holders and prospective bidders.
Geronimo Cardia, president of ACADI, called at Enada 2026 in Rimini for Italy’s legislator to assess the impact of the land-based gaming reorganisation and consult operators and associations. He said players had shifted from physical to online gaming between 2019 and 2025, and argued that the PVR limit should remain and the online market should not be concentrated further.
Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano said the Italian government would not amend rules on minimum distances between gambling outlets and sensitive locations as part of its retail gambling reform. He said a decree could still go before the Council of Ministers, while the Economy Ministry’s technical offices have argued that revising the distance rules would help enable new tender procedures.
The Lombardy Regional Administrative Court in Brescia rejected a challenge to Curno’s order restricting gaming activities to 9am–11pm, according to its 2026 judgment No. 753. The court said local authorities can regulate venue and machine operating hours to protect public health and prevent gambling addiction; Curno’s order was adopted in February 2024.
Piedmont vice-president Maurizio Marrone said the regional government is open to revising its gambling rules, with the aim of giving municipalities a stronger role. Marrone ruled out restoring the 2016 law, which barred betting shops and gaming machines within 500 metres of sensitive locations; opposition parties and associations have called for its reinstatement.