Italian regulator files documentation to define new online gambling concessions

The new framework has been submitted to the Treasury.

Italy.- The Customs and Monopolies Agency, ADM, which regulates gambling in Italy, has submitted documentation outlining the rules for new online gambling concessions. The documentation has been submitted to the Treasury following the publication of the framework in the parliamentary gazette in April.

The licence fee is 35 times that of the €200,000 fee introduced in 2018, and operators will also pay 3 per cent of annual gross gaming revenue (GGR) after taxes. The Ministry of Finance argued that the hike was justified because market dynamics have changed due to the domination of a limited number of large operators, specifically SNAI, Lottomatica (after acquiring SKS365), Flutter and Entain.

After the Treasury and Council of State issue their binding opinion on the framework, it will be incorporated into Italy’s Decree on the Reorganisation of Gambling, which currently deals with land-based gaming matters. The technical rules will first need to be submitted to the European Commission for evaluation and will require a three-month standstill period.

Licensees will have to ensure that games and systems are verified by an external certification body, while the ADM will gain new controls to monitor player funds.

Antonio Giuliani, the head of ADM’s online office, said “The Agency will set a D-day for current operators to start collecting bets with the new regime. The others will have up to six months to launch the system, as established by the law. We will guarantee equal conditions for current licensees and new operators who obtain a licence.”

Last month saw the implementation of new rules for bonus management in Italy. The changes included the introduction of new legislative criteria on the use of bonuses, terms and conditions, payment methods and how bonuses count for tax purposes.

Operators have been asking for changes since the launch of the regulated market in 2006 due to a lack of clarity over the methodology to calculate the cost of bonus rewards. Tax calculations will now use both the bonus applied and any stake placed by the player to compute the amounts wagered and winnings paid out.

The ADM also introduced a set process to respond to palpable errors to allow systematic corrections without the need for legal action. Bookmakers had called for the change due to disputes with customers.