Italy Sets next Stage of Gambling Overhaul With Retail Revisions

Edwardo Houser
2026-04-28T06:25:25Z

Italy expects to initiate a legislative overhaul of land-based betting, moving on on the required to modernise and unify laws, standards and defenses across 20 self-governing regions and 110 towns.

Following a near two-years of negotiations with regional authorities, [Giorgia Meloni's](http://git.modelhub.org.cn980/wiltoneisen559) government is expected to publish a 'draft decree' on new laws used to the management of gaming device networks. Articles will apply nationally to franchise operators of fruit machine, bingo halls and VLT systems.

As reported by AgiproNews, which has detailed crucial settlements of the reform to SBC News, the draft decree will be sent to the Council of Ministers for review and recommendation under Italy's fiscal delegation structure.

Once approved at cabinet level, the legislation will proceed to the Joint State-Regions Conference and pertinent parliamentary committees, without any fixed timeline yet set for application.

The extended negotiation procedure has been led by the Ministry of Economy and [Finance](https://gratisafhalen.be/author/jodiepankhu/) (MEF), led by Deputy Minister Maurizio Leo, along with Roberto Alesse and Mario Lollobrigida, regard of President and Head of Gaming at Italy's Agency of Customs and Monopolies (ADM) - the agency managing the [betting market](https://www.complete-jobs.com/employer/the-bet-9ja-promotion-code-this-2026-is-yohaig).

Retail follows online shakeup

Tough negotiations concentrated on reconciling national regulatory consistency with regional level of sensitivities surrounding tax, prospective revenue losses, compensation systems and local budgeting effects.

The land-based reform types part of a wider restructuring of Italy's gambling framework, which the Meloni federal government deliberately divided into different stages for online and retail gaming.

The very first mandate prioritised the overhaul of Italy's online gambling routine, which came into force in November 2025, introducing brand-new licensing, tax and compliance requirements for digital operators.

Attention has now moved to the retail sector, where early indications recommend a substantial rationalisation of Italy's gaming footprint connected closely to customer defense and .

The variety of outlets permitted to host slots including bars, tobacconists and gaming halls - is expected to fall by around 10%, lowering the nationwide overall to around 40,000 places.

Betting stores will stay capped at 10,000 across the country, while the longstanding difference in between specialised wagering stores and "betting corners" within hospitality places will be abolished.

Machine numbers will likewise be scaled back, with fruit machine projected to decrease from approximately 240,000 systems to 200,000, while VLT volumes will be reduced by around 20% - from 55,000 to 46,000 devices.

Protection sweep

A main pillar of the reform will be the intro of an accreditation program supervised by the ADM. Licences and [franchises](http://git.tjyourong.com.cn/elidacansler90) will be required to show compliance with enhanced requirements on gamer defense, gambling damage prevention and robust controls to prevent [underage gain](https://music.michaelmknight.com/jamila63f92830) access to.

AgiproNews keeps in mind that the directing principles of the reform are "the progressive rationalisation of the retail network and the conditioning of customer protection throughout all gaming channels."

New minimum range rules from so-called "sensitive places" will also be formalised, with licensed locations based on a 100-metre buffer and non-certified outlets to 200 metres.

These zones will consist of secondary schools, dependency treatment centres and medical facility facilities - replacing a regulative patchwork that has long differed in between areas.

The draft decree will further impose tighter controls on opening hours, mandating day-to-day closure durations of 6 and a half hours for licensed venues and eight hours for [non-certified](https://cosasdespuesdelamor.com/supera-a-tu-ex/ya-perdonaste-a-tu-ex/) properties.

Alongside the structural reforms, the federal government is preparing brand-new concession tenders for gaming devices, wagering and bingo operations, anticipated to be released by year-end and projected to create near EUR2bn in brand-new tax profits.

Big Beast market

The settlement period accompanied a competitive consolidation throughout [Italy's land-based](http://81.70.4.1553006/davidabaillieu) betting sector. In 2024, a freshly noted Lottomatica enhanced its retail supremacy through the EUR650m acquisition of SKS365, to take control of its +1,100 PlanetWin betting/arcade franchises.