Italian New Gambling Regulation

The Italian Board of Ministries has approved new regulations for online gambling in Italy, signaling a significant departure from previous rules. Key points from the legislative decree include:

1. A tender will be held for 50 new online gaming licenses, to be awarded before December 31, 2024, as existing licenses expire by then.

2. Each license will cost EUR 7 million for a 9-year term, with operators required to pay an annual license fee of 3% of the Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), and invest 0.2% of their GGR in responsible gaming campaigns. Groups can hold a maximum of 5 licenses.

3. Strict criteria for suitability must be met by operators, with increased penalties to deter violations.

4. Limits are imposed on skins/white label sites, requiring operators to have one website with an Italian top-level domain and their logo displayed. No provision for additional skins is included.

5. Shops selling top-up cards for gaming accounts must be registered and pay an annual fee of €100 per shop. Gambling activity and fund withdrawals from these shops appear to be restricted.

6. Measures are strengthened against offering games in Italy through unlicensed gambling websites, including payment blocking.

These changes represent a significant overhaul of Italy's online gambling regulations, aimed at increasing accountability

and regulation in the industry. Further updates on specific issues are expected in the coming weeks.