Novomatic Italia chief executive Markus Buechele said illegal gambling distorts competition in Italy at a Rome event on 13 May. He said unauthorised operators avoid licensing, compliance and tax costs, and warned that overly rigid rules could push consumers towards less-regulated or illegal markets.
Buechele’s comments point to cost and regulatory-competition concerns for licensed suppliers and operators.
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Austria’s coalition negotiators remain divided over whether operators that served customers without local authorisation should gain immediate access to the planned regulated market. A proposed measure could bar companies found to have breached gambling rules in the previous five years from licensing for an additional period; the current sole online licence expires in 2027.
GRIF director Cesare Pozzi presented research on Italy's unregulated gambling market at an event in Rome. He said online gambling represents about 85% of the illegal market and that illegal activity accounts for 45% of the online segment, while cautioning that the estimates depend on statistical models.
Guardia di Finanza Brigadier General Michele Esposito said at a Rome event on 13 May that illegal gambling is linked to money laundering and transnational criminal networks. He said the legal gambling sector generates about €11bn in state revenue through several taxes and levies.
PRISMA representative Marco Piatti presented research on Italy's unregulated gambling market at an event in Rome, estimating its minimum value at €30bn. He said about 5.5 million Italians use illegal gambling channels, including roughly four million who mainly use land-based channels, and cautioned that the market cannot be fully measured.
Renato Loiero, economic adviser to Italy’s Council of Ministers, said at a Rome event that the country’s concession and authorisation model had helped direct 92% of actual gambling spending to legal channels. He called for coordinated support to address gambling problems and highlighted operator technology links and staff training.