FIGC president Giovanni Malagò said additional income from football betting could help support youth football in Italy, alongside tax relief. He said parliamentary amendments addressing the proposals were under consideration and that political support would be needed to advance them.
Betting revenue could support youth football in Italy if proposals gain parliamentary and political backing.
The day’s most important stories, free. One email a day.
Reportedly, FIGC president Giovanni Malagò called for clear alternatives to the betting-advertising ban. He addressed the issue at a Senate culture committee hearing on legislation supporting football.
Giovanni Malagò became FIGC president on 22 June 2026 after winning 68.58% of votes, and his programme called for ending Italy’s betting-advertising ban and allocating part of betting turnover to football. The article argues that the policy debate has renewed as the ban’s framework faces pressure, citing a 2025 sports-betting turnover of €19.2 billion and estimated FIGC sponsorship losses of €600 million for 2019–2025. These are proposals and estimates, not a reported policy change.
Reportedly, Italian football presidency candidates Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete support a 2% betting tax to fund the sport. Both are contesting the FIGC presidency in an election on 22 June.
The Italian Football Federation blocked Andrea Pirlo’s appointment as national team coach because of his association with a Russian betting company, according to the report. Pirlo said his work abroad complied with local laws and contracts and described the relationship as commercial and sporting, not political.
Fernando Costa, president of the Bolivian Football Federation, called for a legal framework to regulate online sports betting in Bolivia. He said he had spoken with government political representatives about possible amendments to the 2010 gambling law; the AJ says no online betting platforms or operators hold official licences or registration in the country.