EGLA lawyer questions Italy's gambling advertising ban at SiGMA panel
Regulation1 min read
Valérie Peano, founding partner of EGLA, criticised Italy’s gambling advertising ban during a panel at SiGMA World 2026. She said the Decree of Dignity was under review by the Court of Justice of the European Union over procedural issues and argued that the ban lacked scientific assessment and an ex-post review. Peano also called for balance in the ongoing consultation.
Valérie Peano, founding partner of EGLA (European Gambling Lawyers and Advisors), spoke on the first day of SiGMA World 2026 at a panel on the ban on gambling advertising.
Peano said the Decree of Dignity is under review by the European Court of Justice over procedural problems, because it was not notified to the European Commission and the member states. She said this would mean the decree is disapplied, as happened in the case of Lithuania. She also said there are problems of compatibility with the principles of the European Treaties. In her view, a rule must also be checked for non-discrimination and coherence.
Peano said the advertising ban was introduced without genuine scientific research, and therefore without a real check on the urgency of protecting problem gamblers. She added that no ex post analysis has been carried out. She described the 2019 AGCOM guidelines as an attempt to balance competing interests between a strict advertising ban and the sector's need to communicate its brand in other forms, such as infotainment. Peano said she hopes this balance between the interests involved can remain in the new consultation phase.