Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has accelerated reforms in the country’s gambling sector, as lawmakers prepare a draft decree that will significantly change the regulation of retail gambling.
According to Agripro News, the document is expected to be presented to the Council of Ministers and will determine the future of gaming devices (slots and video lottery terminals), betting networks, and bingo operations.
A key element of the reforms is the reduction of venues hosting slot machines and video lottery terminals (VLTs). As a result, the number of outlets with installed slots is expected to decrease by approximately 10% — down to 40,000.
Accordingly, the number of slots and VLTs will also decline: slot machines— from 240,000 to 200,000, VLTs — from 55,000 to 46,000.
The reforms also include strengthening player protection through the introduction of a venue certification system, overseen by the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM).
Certification will require businesses to implement measures to prevent gambling addiction and restrict access to minors.
New rules will also mandate that gambling venues be located at least 100 meters from secondary schools, addiction treatment centers, and healthcare facilities; for non-certified venues, this distance increases to 200 meters, and mandatory closure periods are introduced.
Certified venues will be required to shut down gaming devices from 3:00 to 8:30 a.m. and from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Non-certified venues must close for an additional half hour during both the morning and afternoon periods, with the afternoon period starting at 1:00 p.m.
These measures are part of a broader reform of Italy’s gambling market led by the ADM, under which Prime Minister Meloni supports the goal of creating a more controlled gambling market, enhancing the competitiveness of the licensed sector against illegal operators.
One of the major changes will be a review of the “Dignity Decree”, which bans online gambling sponsorship on the front of Serie A football shirts and had previously been criticized for encouraging the black market.
In November, ADM activated 52 licenses that now form the foundation of Italy’s online gaming sector and launched a reform strategy focused on strict compliance, modern technological enforcement, strengthened anti-money laundering controls, and tackling the country’s substantial black market.
As part of the changes, authorities also banned “skins”, which had previously allowed multiple affiliate sites to operate under a single license, leading to the closure of hundreds of gambling websites.
As retail reforms are implemented, regional authorities will need to amend local legislation to align it with the new regulatory framework.
Once approved by the Cabinet, the legislation will proceed to the Joint State–Regions Conference and relevant parliamentary committees. No fixed timeline has been set for full implementation of the new rules.
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