Italy is preparing to publish the country’s land-based gambling reform decree on April 10, 2026, moving towards the government’s overhaul of the gambling sector. The Council of Ministers under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni set the deadline for the publication, as the final terms are now under review by the Unified Conference. According to the reform,
Italy is preparing to publish the country’s land-based gambling reform decree on April 10, 2026, moving towards the government’s overhaul of the gambling sector.
The Council of Ministers under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni set the deadline for the publication, as the final terms are now under review by the Unified Conference.
According to the reform, gaming machine licenses will have a starting bid of €25 million for lots including 4,000 AWPs and 900 VLTs, while retail betting licenses will be granted in blocks of 25 at €60,000 each, with a starting bid of €1.5 million. Additionally, bingo halls will be available at €350,000 per venue for 210 locations.
After a €250 million drop in tax revenue from gaming machines in 2025, the government has since been under pressure to implement the reforms. Estimates also priced the unlicensed market at €30-€35 billion for the retail and online channels, warning that delays in the reform will allow the illegal market to grow further.
The decree will add stricter controls on operating hours and 100-metre distance requirements between gambling locations and institutions like schools and hospitals. A revenue-sharing mechanism will also be introduced, with an €80 million allocation to be distributed across regions in an effort to increase local participation in gambling revenue.
The government is pushing to complete the decree before the expiration of the fiscal delegation law on August 29, 2026, which would help by ending the repeated extensions of concessions for gaming machines, betting, and bingo, which are to expire on December 31, 2026.