As the clocks ticked over to 7am yesterday (13 November), Italy’s authorities activated the 52 online gambling licences that will form the country’s renewed iGaming market.
This new era is being led by the customs and monopolies agency (ADM), which described the turn on as a “smooth and decisive reset” despite minor technical adjustments that delayed the planned midnight activation.
The organisation’s strategy for change focuses on stricter compliance measures, advanced technological enforcement, and stronger anti-money laundering controls, as well as tackling Italy’s significant black market presence.
At the heart of this is a ban on “skins”, which allowed multiple affiliate sites to operate under a single master licence. As a result, the new dawn signalled the closure of hundreds of gambling websites.
Although there are 52 licences, just 46 operators are live in the country, as some have more than one licence. Each licence cost €7m, generating €364m for the state.
In 2024, Italy’s online gambling sector recorded €5bn in wagers, making it the second biggest market in Europe after the UK, and generated €1.1bn in tax receipts and €3.8bn in operator revenues.
Notable absentees
Several notable names failed to apply for a new licence upon the announcement of the regulatory overhaul, including Betway, Unibet and 1xBet, marking their exits from the country.
However, one company pushing to dominate the Italian market is Flutter.
In April, the group completed the acquisition of Snaitech for a cash consideration based on an enterprise value of €2.3bn, adding the former Playtech subsidiary to its existing Sisal operations.
At the time, Flutter said that the move increased its online market share in Italy by approximately 30%.
Since then, Flutter has hailed strong performances in Italy, alongside Turkey, for the growth of its international division.
In its Q3 earnings report, the company reported international revenue of $2.4bn, a 21% increase compared to the same period last year, with acquisitions such as Snaitech contributing 18 percentage points to this increase.
Dignity Decree rethink
Changes to the make-up of the Italian market are expected to continue into 2026.
In September, proposals to revitalise Italian sport included a possible return of gambling sponsorship, which has been banned under 2018’s Dignity Decree.
ADM and the Senate’s Culture Commission are reviewing the prohibition on gambling advertising, aiming to strike a balance between consumer protection and legal market visibility.
Many industry voices have argued that the total ban has inadvertently fueled Italy’s significant black market, estimated to be worth approximately €1bn annually.
Fabio A. Bufalini, Country Director of Stake Italy, previously told iGaming Expert that “it’s no coincidence that illegal gambling has grown significantly in recent years”, while the advertising ban has been in place.
“I’m convinced that if [the Dignity Decree was overturned], we as operators should be the first to protect consumers by establishing clear and reliable rules to avoid a return to the previous ban, while also ensuring that advertising is constructive,” Bufalini added.
