EU court upholds Italy’s concession and police-licence system in principle
The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on 23 March 2026 that EU law does not in principle prevent Italy from requiring a state concession and police authorisation to collect betting wagers, where the system serves to combat organised crime. The court said national judges must assess whether the restrictions are proportionate and consistent in each case; the dispute concerned a police-authorisation refusal involving a data transmission centre working for Stanleybet Malta Limited.
The ruling preserves Italy’s two-part authorisation framework in principle while leaving national courts to assess its application in individual cases.