Italian Lawmakers Grant Approval for Initial Stage of Gambling Reforms

Italy’s Senate has approved the first phase of the planned overhaul of gambling regulations. Parliamentarians voted to approve the adoption of the Tax Delegation Law, paving the way for a thorough reform of gambling laws in Italy.

Under the new legislation, the country acknowledges that the gambling industry needs a restructuring of taxation and the implementation of new player protection mechanisms. The idea is to create a more transparent and accountable environment.

The government in Italy has unsuccessfully tried to change the gambling sector's regulations. Consecutive regime changes and other disruptions have hindered proposals to change the law. Interestingly, this will be the fourth time the government is trying to overhaul gambling laws.

Plans to change gambling laws started gathering steam in March 2023 after the Council of Ministers approved the Tax Delegation Law to revise the tax system. Then, in July, the Chamber of Deputies approved the regulation to pave the way for a Senate discussion. At the same time, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance appointed Deputy Minister Maurizio Leo to head a special delegation to develop modernizing reforms for the Italian gambling market.

Now that the framework for the regulatory changes is in place, the government has appointed Mario Lollobrigida, Head of Gaming at the Agency of Customs and Monopolies (ADM), who will steer the next step of the legal process. The government hopes to receive a draft of the legislative decrees from the ADM by September 20.

The first step in modernizing Italy's gambling industry will be to revamp the existing taxation system. The government also looks to adopt a unified set of regulations to oversee gaming establishments in the country's 20 regions.

Furthermore, the ADM will examine and update player protection standards. The body is expected to provide recommendations in the following areas:

• New stake limits land-based venues and live online casinos
• Machine payouts
• Obligatory training of personnel
• Sports betting ban on activities involving minors

According to the government, it's essential to prioritize revamping the self-exclusion program. The government feels this program is vital in protecting vulnerable players of casino games and sports bettors. 

In a show of support for the regulatory modifications, Maurizio Leo and the Meloni administration emphasized the value of the gambling industry, noting it contributes €11 billion to the government annually and employs approximately 150,000 people.