The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has called on the government to introduce a levy on gambling revenue and reconsider the country’s strict betting advertising restrictions, in a report published this week.
The report, prepared by outgoing FIGC president Gabriele Gravina for the VII Committee on Culture, Science and Education of the Chamber of Deputies, was initially meant to be presented during a parliamentary hearing that was ultimately cancelled following Gravina’s resignation announcement.
Gravina remains in a caretaker role until the federation’s extraordinary elective assembly scheduled in June.
Over its 11 pages, the report breaks down the structural issues of Italian football. This comes after Italy failed to qualify for the Fifa World Cup for the third consecutive tournament.
Gambling levy to reinvest into the sport
Central to the report is a proposal to introduce a levy on gambling turnover or winnings tied to football betting. Proceeds would be reinvested directly into the sport.
Gravina argued that this measure, already adopted by several European countries, would require merely the transposition of an existing European directive into Italian law.
The outgoing FIGC president tabled this levy as a partial solution to the development of Italian football.
Gravina’s report stipulated that revenues generated should be ring-fenced for specific purposes. This would include youth development programmes, stadium infrastructure upgrades and initiatives addressing problem gambling.
The report positioned the initiative as a critical financial pillar. It aims to stem the persistent underfunding of Italian football’s grassroots and facilities.
The proposal comes at a time of significant structural change within Italy’s gambling market. In November 2025, Italy’s market of more than 400 operating domains was compressed into a mere 52 licences, each tied to a single online identity. Italy’s iGaming reform replaces a sprawling ecosystem with a tightly governed oligopoly of powerful incumbents.
This shift towards an “oligopoly-style” market structure could concentrate revenues among fewer operators.
Despite this, Italy remains one of Europe’s largest online gambling markets by turnover and tax yield. Licence revenues bring approximately €364 million ($424 million) to the state as of November last year.
Betting advertising restrictions
The report also urged a review of the 2018 ban on advertising and sponsorship by betting operators, originally enacted through the “Decreto Dignità”.
Gravida critiqued the ban as “largely ineffective” in reducing underage and illegal gambling. He cited findings from a 2022 Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry report that showed continued growth in these areas despite the advertising restrictions.
Furthermore, the ban has significantly reduced sponsorship income for clubs. This places Italian football at a disadvantage compared to other top European leagues.
Gambling companies remain prominent sponsors on club shirts. They take up 24% of shirt sponsors in 2025-26, according to a UEFA 2026 report.
This is expected to take a hit as English Premier League clubs have agreed on a voluntary ban of front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship, effective from the 2026-27 season onwards. Although sleeve sponsorships will still be allowed, the Premier League is looking at an £80 million revenue shortfall following the ban.
Italy’s previous attempts
The 2018 blanket advertising ban followed national concerns about gambling addiction and the exposure of minors to gambling promotions.
The report referenced prior temporary government programmes that funnelled gambling-related revenues into sporting initiatives, but noted these were never renewed.
The FIGC president emphasised that Italian professional football operates under persistent financial strain. Clubs collectively experience losses exceeding €730 million annually and carrying approximately €5.5 billion in debt.
Investments in youth academies and stadium modernisation lag behind European counterparts.
Should the government adopt the levy proposition, Italian football could gain access to a more reliable funding source.
Kathryn Evans
Kathryn covers bitesize breaking news with a primary focus on EMEA and US legislation. A proud North Walian, fluent Welsh speaker and lifelong Wrexham FC fan – long before Hollywood came calling.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/regulation/figc-president-calls-italian-gambling-ad-ban-largely-ineffective-in-new-report/
