Italy’s regulated gambling industry risks further disruption as prolonged regulatory delays and inconsistent local policies continue to hinder the sector’s development, according to warnings presented to Italy’s Senate by trade association EGP-FIPE.
The association, which represents public gaming operators within the Italian Federation of Public Establishments under Confcommercio, used a hearing before the Senate’s Constitutional Affairs Committee to argue that the country’s legal gambling framework has reached a critical impasse. The group maintains that the current environment weakens consumer protection measures while creating conditions that could encourage unregulated gambling activity.
The discussion comes as efforts to reorganise Italy’s land-based gambling sector remain unresolved. A draft decree linked to the government’s tax reform agenda failed to advance before the delegation expired, leaving several key issues unsettled, including rules governing the distance between gambling venues and locations considered sensitive, such as schools and care facilities.
Industry Group Raises Concerns Over Fragmented Rules
According to EGP-FIPE, years of concession extensions, combined with overlapping regional and municipal regulations, have created a situation where operators struggle to plan for the future. The association argues that the absence of a unified national strategy has left the legal market in a state of uncertainty.
Speaking before lawmakers, EGP-FIPE president Emmanuele Cangianelli described the impact of the current regulatory structure.
“The system is stuck between extensions and non-homogeneous territorial rules. This block prevents serious planning of the network and weakens precisely the protection tools that one would like to strengthen. Without a coherent national framework, prevention loses effectiveness and the space for uncontrolled supply (the black market) grows.”
The same concerns were echoed in comments reported following the hearing, where Cangianelli stressed that inconsistent regional approaches have weakened the organisation of the authorised gambling network and reduced the effectiveness of prevention efforts.
EGP-FIPE maintains that the central issue extends beyond the division of powers between national and local authorities. Instead, the association believes the sector lacks a coordinated governance model capable of delivering consistent policies across the country.
The organisation warned that continuing to layer local regulations on top of existing national rules has created operational challenges for licensed operators while complicating long-term planning.
Local Restrictions Under Scrutiny
The association also criticised measures commonly introduced by municipalities, particularly mandatory distance requirements between gambling venues and sensitive sites, along with restrictions on operating hours.
EGP-FIPE contends that these policies have failed to significantly reduce gambling-related harm. Instead, the group believes they have encouraged players to migrate toward online channels or unregulated alternatives that offer fewer safeguards.
Cangianelli told lawmakers:
“The evidence is that where the physical offer is rigidly restricted the problem is not reduced, but moved. Play heads online or to the underground market, where control is nil. This makes territorial instruments little effective with respect to the declared objective and introduces heavy distortions in terms of legality and the sustainability of the authorised network.”
A similar argument has emerged elsewhere in Italy’s gambling debate. Recently, representatives of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) called for a review of the country’s advertising restrictions on betting. Outgoing FIGC president Gabriele Gravina described the 2018 ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship as largely ineffective in curbing underage and illegal gambling activity, citing findings from a 2022 parliamentary report.
Push for Nationally Coordinated Prevention Measures
While criticising current regulatory arrangements, EGP-FIPE also highlighted several responsible gambling tools already available or under development.
The association pointed to self-exclusion systems, behavioural tracking mechanisms and technological monitoring solutions as examples of measures that could support prevention efforts. However, it warned that these initiatives require consistent implementation across the country to achieve meaningful results.
According to Cangianelli:
“A clear governance structure is needed. Regions may have a role, but within a shared national plan. Otherwise, partial interventions will continue to accumulate without solving the problem.”
The association reiterated the same position in its official statement following the Senate hearing, where it stressed that advanced prevention tools risk producing uneven outcomes without a stable national framework.
Market Remains One of Europe’s Largest
Despite the ongoing regulatory debate, Italy continues to rank among Europe’s most significant gambling markets. The sector operates under the supervision of the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) and generates substantial tax revenues for the state.
The online segment has expanded rapidly over the past decade, while land-based venues have faced increasing local restrictions. Regulatory reforms introduced a new licensing structure that significantly reduced the number of operating domains, compressing more than 400 domains into 52 licences by November 2025.
Industry observers have noted that the restructuring has concentrated market participation among a smaller group of operators. Nevertheless, Italy remains one of the continent’s leading gambling jurisdictions in terms of turnover and tax contributions, with licence revenues generating approximately €364 million for the government by late 2025.
As discussions over future reforms continue, EGP-FIPE maintains that a nationally coordinated approach remains essential if policymakers hope to balance consumer protection, legal market sustainability and effective oversight of gambling activity throughout Italy.
Source:
“Giochi pubblici, EGP-FIPE al Senato: ‘Stallo normativo e regole locali frammentate. Così cresce il gioco non controllato [pdf]’”, egp-fipe.it, 9 June 2026
