Italy expects to initiate a legal overhaul of land-based betting, moving on on the required to modernise and combine laws, requirements and securities across 20 self-governing areas and 110 municipalities.
Following a near two-years of settlements with regional authorities, Giorgia Meloni's federal government is anticipated to publish a 'draft decree' on brand-new laws used to the management of video gaming device networks. Articles will use nationally to franchise operators of slot devices, bingo halls and VLT systems.
As reported by AgiproNews, which has detailed essential settlements of the reform to SBC News, the draft decree will be sent to the Council of Ministers for review and endorsement under Italy's financial delegation structure.
Once authorized at cabinet level, the legislation will continue to the Joint State-Regions Conference and pertinent parliamentary committees, without any set timeline yet set for application.
The prolonged settlement process has actually been led by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), led by Deputy Minister Maurizio Leo, alongside Roberto Alesse and Mario Lollobrigida, respect of President and Head of Gaming at Italy's Agency of Customs and Monopolies (ADM) - the agency managing the betting market.
Retail follows online shakeup
Tough negotiations focused on reconciling national regulative consistency with local level of sensitivities surrounding tax, prospective income losses, compensation systems and regional budgeting impacts.
The land-based reform types part of a wider restructuring of Italy's gambling framework, which the Meloni government intentionally divided into different phases for online and retail betting.
The first required prioritised the overhaul of Italy's online gambling program, which entered into force in November 2025, introducing new licensing, tax and compliance requirements for digital operators.
Attention has now moved to the retail sector, where early indicators suggest a considerable rationalisation of Italy's gaming footprint tied carefully to consumer defense and harm-prevention objectives.
The variety of outlets permitted to host slots consisting of bars, tobacconists and video gaming halls - is expected to fall by around 10%, lowering the nationwide overall to approximately 40,000 areas.
Betting stores will remain capped at 10,000 across the country, while the longstanding difference in between specialised betting stores and "betting corners" within hospitality venues will be eliminated.
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 lowered by around 20% - from 55,000 to 46,000 gadgets.
Protection sweep
A main pillar of the reform will be the intro of an accreditation routine supervised by the ADM. Licences and franchises will be needed to demonstrate compliance with boosted standards on gamer security, betting harm avoidance and robust controls to prevent underage gain access to.
AgiproNews keeps in mind that the directing principles of the reform are "the gradual rationalisation of the retail network and the fortifying of consumer protection across all betting channels."
New minimum distance rules from so-called "delicate places" will also be formalised, with certified locations subject to a 100-metre buffer and non-certified outlets to 200 metres.
These zones will include secondary schools, addiction treatment centres and healthcare facility centers - changing a regulative patchwork that has long varied between areas.
The draft decree will further enforce tighter controls on opening hours, mandating daily of six and a half hours for licensed locations and 8 hours for non-certified facilities.
Alongside the structural reforms, the government is preparing new concession tenders for gaming devices, wagering and bingo operations, anticipated to be released by year-end and forecasted to generate near EUR2bn in new tax profits.
Big Beast market
The negotiation period accompanied a competitive consolidation throughout Italy's land-based betting sector. In 2024, a newly noted Lottomatica strengthened its retail dominance through the EUR650m acquisition of SKS365, to take control of its +1,100 PlanetWin betting/arcade franchises.
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Italy Sets next Stage of Gambling Overhaul With Retail Revisions
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