Land-based gambling reform: ADM, trade bodies and unions push for sector overhaul
Italy’s reorganisation of land-based gambling remains high on the agenda for both the industry and national politics. After the reform of online gambling, launched through Legislative Decree No. 41 of 2024, the part of the system most exposed at the local level still needs to be completed: betting shops, gaming halls, agencies, and points of sale.
The issue does not only concern industry operators. The reform also covers the renewal of land-based gambling concessions, action against the illegal market, consumer protection, and the economic resilience of a network that continues to serve as an important safeguard for Italy’s state-regulated gambling sector.
After the latest debate between opposition and majority parties in the Italian Parliament, the discussion was reopened by comments from Mario Lollobrigida, Director for Gambling at the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), alongside interventions from AGIC, the Association of Licensed Gambling and Entertainment (Associazione Gioco e Intrattenimento in Concessione – AGIC), and the Sports Betting Shop Union (Sindacato Totoricevitori Sportivi – STS).
ADM: texts are ready, but political approval is needed
Director Lollobrigida, speaking during the training course for journalists organised by PIUE and Adnkronos on “Legal gambling: data, rules, and the responsibility of information”, explained that work on the reorganisation of land-based gambling is already at an advanced stage and represents one of the main steps still to be completed in the implementation of the sector reform.
According to ADM’s Director for Gambling, the technical texts have been prepared and are now being assessed by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Before reaching the final version, the decree will have to pass through Palazzo Chigi and through discussions with the regions.
The territorial stage is decisive. Land-based gambling operates across municipalities and regions, subject to local rules, distance requirements, time limits, and varying criteria for the location of points of sale. Over the years, this layering has created an uneven framework that is often difficult for operators and concessionaires to manage.
Lollobrigida also noted that some motions presented in Parliament by the opposition appear to be anticipating positions on a text that has not yet been officially released. According to the ADM, this risks slowing down an already complex process.
Operator training and player protection
In the project referred to by ADM, the reorganisation should not be limited solely to the map of points of sale. Lollobrigida also indicated the need for continuous training for operators, based on a national programme and, where possible, approved by the Ministry of Health or the Department for Addictions.
At present, training is required only under some regional laws. The result is a non-uniform system, with standards varying from one territory to another. For a sector regulated through public concessions, this remains a key issue. Player protection also depends on the quality of the legal network. Trained staff, clear controls, and shared procedures can help prevent problematic situations and strengthen the role of authorised operators.
AGIC: without clear rules, the illegal risk grows
AGIC considers the reorganisation of land-based gambling a priority that can no longer be postponed. Following the intervention on online gambling, the association said that reform of the land-based network would complete the path set out by the fiscal delegation and finally allow the renewal of concessions to begin.
The issue of tenders also remains central. The sector has lived for years with successive extensions, which have helped avoid disruption but have been insufficient to support planning, investment, innovation, and security. For companies, a stable framework would allow long-term planning and strengthen the legal presence across the territory.
AGIC also points to the issue of the illegal market. According to the association’s estimates, unauthorised supply would capture more than €30 billion in stakes outside the regulated circuit. Also, according to AGIC, tax revenue fell by €250 million in 2025, with a decline of €101 million already recorded in the first three months of 2026.
These figures point to a concrete concern: when the legal channel remains dependent on extensions and fragmented rules, irregular supply can gain ground, and the latest sector analyses confirm this trend.
STS: betting shops under pressure and another missed opportunity
STS has also expressed concern about the future of the land-based network. The association described another missed opportunity, reporting that the draft decree, after the MEF’s work with ADM technicians and its passage through the Unified Conference, had encountered a possible political obstacle at the Presidency of the Council.
For STS, land-based gambling is in crisis and needs urgent legislative intervention. The union is calling for reform capable of safeguarding land-based supply, supporting the profitability of betting shops, and overcoming distance requirements and time limits, which it considers punitive measures for the authorised channel.
The point remains controversial. Distances and opening hours have been introduced in many territories for prevention purposes. The supply chain, however, argues that excessively uneven rules can weaken state-controlled operators without truly affecting illegal supply.
Reform seeks balance
The reorganisation of land-based gambling will have to bring together different interests. The State must guarantee legality, tax revenue, and the protection of public health. Operators are asking for updated concessions, applicable rules, and a long-term industrial perspective. Betting shops are asking not to be left alone in a market changed by the growth of online gambling and by local regulatory pressure.
The issue, therefore, is not whether there should be more or fewer rules. It is between effective rules and a system that continues to live on extensions. Land-based gambling remains a visible part of the Italian regulated gambling sector. Leaving it without an organic reform would mean keeping the delegation’s most complex front open. The coming weeks will show whether ADM’s technical work can translate into a shared political decision. For the land-based network, the waiting room has narrowed.
This article was originally published on the Italian SiGMA News page on 17 June 2026.
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