Calabria court upholds police refusal of betting and VLT licence in Rosarno
Regulation2 min read
Calabria’s regional administrative court rejected a business owner’s request to suspend the Reggio Calabria police chief’s July 2026 refusal of a licence for a betting venue and VLT machines in Rosarno. The court found no grounds for interim relief, citing the applicant’s repeated night-time contact with people with criminal records and considering the claimed financial harm recoverable.
The Calabria regional administrative court (TAR), in its Reggio Calabria section, has upheld a police refusal of a licence for a betting venue and the installation of VLT machines in Rosarno. The judges rejected the request for interim suspension filed by the owner of the business.
The refusal was issued by the police chief in July 2026 and rests on the applicant lacking the personal requirements set by the Consolidated Act on Public Security Laws. Checks by the Gioia Tauro public security station had reportedly found habitual night-time interaction between the businessman and people with criminal records who were deemed a risk to public order.
The applicant had challenged the decision, arguing that it lacked adequate reasoning and claiming imminent economic harm from being unable to start the business in Rosarno.
The court held that the appeal lacked fumus boni iuris, the appearance of a valid legal claim. It said the betting and gaming sector has a historical overexposure to infiltration by organised crime, particularly active in the Vibonese area and the Piana di Gioia Tauro. According to the court, the case file showed the applicant habitually spent time, at night and also in vehicles, with people whose records conflicted with security requirements. The judges said anyone seeking to run a gaming and betting business must be prudent in choosing their personal associations, regardless of age. The court found no periculum in mora, the risk of harm from delay, because the damage claimed is purely economic and can be compensated. It therefore confirmed the lawfulness of the refusal, citing the protection of public order and safety.