Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency is drafting the final text of a reform of retail gambling, director Roberto Alesse said. He said the online sector had already been reorganised and that the retail framework was being updated to reflect technological developments; the final text was expected within a few days.
Operators in Italy’s retail gambling market will need to monitor the forthcoming reform text.
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It was reported that SAPAR president Sergio D’Angelo and deputy Patrizio Perla met European institutional representatives in Brussels. D’Angelo called for broader participation and agreement in Italian retail gambling reform.
Agic warned that delays to Italy’s reform of land-based gambling and restrictions on the location of authorised venues could favour illegal gambling, according to a report. The association called for the reform to be completed and the rules on venue distribution to be revised; the report said the process had stalled after discussions between the government, regions and local authorities.
AGIC called for Italy to complete reform of the retail gambling sector, citing concessions that have operated for years under extensions and fragmented regional and municipal rules. Research by MDF Partners reported 2025 gross gaming revenue of €21.6bn and tax revenue of €11.5bn; online gambling grew 11% year on year while retail was broadly stable.
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.
Sapar called on Italy’s government to retain domestic gaming-machine managers in the proposed retail gambling reform, after Deputy Finance Minister Maurizio Leo discussed the plans at an ADM event in Rome. Leo said the reform remained under government review and could be presented to a future Council of Ministers; Sapar said draft tender plans risked weakening small businesses and concentrating the market.