Mancini says Italy must adapt gambling rules to international challenges
Regulation2 min read
Quirino Mancini, an IMGL Executive Committee member, said Italy should continue updating its gambling framework as new international challenges emerge. He described the country’s licensing and regulatory system as a reference point for other markets and said AGCOM’s updated guidance on infotainment could clarify advertising rules.
Quirino Mancini, a lawyer and member of the IMGL Executive Committee, said Italy will have to adapt to new international challenges.
Sigma World opens in Rome, with events running from Tuesday 3 to Thursday 5 November. Mancini is to moderate a session on Tuesday at 14.15 in the Workshops area. Davide Gallino and Antonio Giuliani are due to take part in the panel. Dario Evangelista of Betsson and two of Mancini's colleagues, one German and one Portuguese, are also due to speak at the IMGL Masterclass.
Mancini said Agcom's decision to update its guidelines to address infotainment shows that operational clarity was needed. In his view, the aim is to mark more clearly the line between what is permitted and what is prohibited. He said that without such a regulatory measure, administrative courts would increasingly be called on to fill the gap through their rulings. Mancini also referred to a stakeholder consultation started on 22 October.
Mancini said Italy has been at the forefront in Europe for more than 20 years, particularly in online gaming. He described the Italian system as a reference model for markets that want a licensing model and detailed regulation. He cited the technical and administrative rules introduced for the 2025 tender for new concessions as an example of that approach. Mancini said other European regulators do not copy the Italian rules wholesale but can draw on them as operating standards.
Mancini said he expects ADM not to remain unresponsive to the challenges of a fast-moving market. He said an official regulatory position may soon be needed on new gaming offers that do not clearly fall into the categories ADM currently regulates. He named prediction markets, sweepstakes and crypto-casinos as products that need to be clearly and officially classified.
According to Mancini, he and his WH Italy partners agreed to reposition him as an outsourced collaborator. He said the working relationship with the firm is set to continue. Mancini said the arrangement lets him accept a new professional challenge in responsible gambling with no risk of conflicts of interest. He is joining the Advisory Board of 1xCare, a non-profit initiative promoted by 1xBet. Mancini said this advisory work will be in addition to his activity as a lawyer specialising in sport, media and gaming, not a replacement for it. His task, he said, will be to assess and choose responsible gambling projects, in a way he described as fully objective and independent.