Italy’s Council of Ministers is targeting 10 April for the publication of the final legislative decree reorganising the country’s land-based gambling sector, a move that will formally open the second phase of the Meloni government’s multi-year overhaul of the Italian gambling market.
What the Decree Contains
The decree introduces a new concession structure across the three main retail verticals. For gaming machines, a starting bid of €25m covers lots comprising 4,000 Amusement with Prizes (AWPs) and 900 Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs). Retail betting licences will be offered in blocks of 25, priced at €60,000 each, with a base bid of €1.5m per block. Bingo hall concessions carry a starting bid of €350,000 per venue, covering 210 locations.
The final decree is currently under review by the Unified Conference, the representative body of Italy’s 20 autonomous regions and 110 municipalities. The UC has set an initial allocation of €80m to be distributed to regional and local authorities under a revenue-sharing mechanism established in the 2026 Budget Law, signalling an attempt to resolve longstanding tensions between the national government and regional bodies over gambling tax proceeds.
Key structural provisions include new distance requirements between gambling venues and sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, and addiction treatment centres. A certification regime will be introduced by ADM: certified operators will be subject to a 100-metre buffer from sensitive sites, while non-certified venues face a 200-metre restriction. Opening hours will also be regulated, with mandatory daily closure periods built into the concession terms.
Market Rationalisation
The decree is expected to reduce the overall retail gambling footprint in Italy. The number of premises permitted to host slot machines, currently including bars and tobacconists, is projected to fall by around 10% to approximately 40,000 locations. Slot machine volumes are expected to decline from roughly 240,000 to 200,000 units. VLT numbers will be cut by around 20%, from 55,000 to approximately 46,000 devices. Betting shop numbers will remain capped at 10,000, and the existing distinction between specialised betting shops and betting corners within hospitality venues will be abolished.
The pressure to act is not purely structural. The gaming machine segment recorded a €250m decline in tax revenues in 2025, and Italian policymakers have warned that delays in formalising the new framework are accelerating growth in the unlicensed market, which is estimated to be worth between €30bn and €35bn across retail and online channels. Completing the decree before the fiscal delegation law expires on 29 August would also allow Italy to terminate the prolonged concession extensions for gaming machines, betting, and bingo that are currently set to run through 31 December.
ADM Oversight and AML Provisions
ADM will take on an expanded oversight role under the decree. A permanent committee will be established to monitor problem gambling rates, and ADM will lead a strengthened AML compliance framework across the retail sector. The certification system for licensed operators is designed to create a clearer distinction between compliant and non-compliant parts of the market, a key element of the government’s strategy to reduce criminal infiltration into the gambling supply chain.
The reform forms part of a deliberate two-phase strategy. The Meloni government prioritised the online gambling framework first, which came into force in November 2025 and introduced new licensing, tax, and compliance requirements for digital operators. Italy’s new online licensing regime launched with 52 active permits and remains in its early implementation phase. The retail decree follows, completing the government’s commitment to a full reset of the Italian gambling market. Italy’s decision to keep the two phases separate has drawn criticism from parts of the industry that wanted a unified approach, but the government has defended the sequencing as necessary given the complexity of regional negotiations involved in the land-based reform.
Political Context
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has maintained the reform pledge despite political turbulence. On 22 March, the government lost the Nordio Referendum on judicial reform, with 52% of voters rejecting plans to overhaul Italy’s disciplinary court and judicial appointment system. The outcome was Meloni’s first significant defeat since taking office in 2022. Despite that setback, the gambling reform programme appears unaffected, with the April 10 date representing a concrete step toward completing one of the government’s longstanding legislative commitments.
Italy’s digital firewall initiative to combat illegal gambling has run alongside the structural reforms, reflecting a government approach that pairs market reorganisation with enforcement. The retail decree, once finalised, will add regulatory certainty to a sector that has operated on concession extensions for several years. For operators in the gaming machine, betting, and bingo segments, the April publication date marks the start of a new tender process and the beginning of a compliance timeline with no further delay built in.
Source: SBC News
