Italy is set to launch a major reform of its land-based gambling sector, aiming to unify rules across 20 regions and 110 municipalities. The government is expected to issue a draft decree covering slot machines, bingo halls, and video lottery terminal (VLT) systems, applying nationally to all franchise operators.
The decree, prepared after nearly two years of negotiations with local authorities, will be reviewed under Italy’s fiscal delegation framework, as per AgiproNews. If approved by the Council of Ministers, it will then be submitted to the Joint State–Regions Conference and relevant parliamentary committees, although no implementation timetable has yet been set.
Negotiations centred on balancing national regulatory uniformity with regional concerns over taxation, potential revenue losses, compensation mechanisms, and local budget impacts.
The land-based reform follows a restructuring of Italy’s gambling regime that was deliberately split into two phases. The first focused on online gambling and came into force in November 2025, introducing new licensing, tax and compliance requirements for digital operators.
Attention has now turned to the retail sector, where the government is signalling a sharp rationalisation of Italy’s gambling footprint in line with consumer protection and harm-prevention goals.
Early proposals indicate that the number of outlets permitted to host slot machines, including bars, tobacconists and gaming halls, could fall by about 10%, cutting the national total to roughly 40,000 venues. Betting shops would remain capped at 10,000, while the long-standing distinction between specialist betting shops and “betting corners” inside hospitality venues would be abolished.
Machine numbers would also decline. Slot machines could be reduced from around 240,000 units to 200,000, while VLTs would drop by roughly 20%, from 55,000 to about 46,000 devices.
A central feature of the reform will be a new certification regime led by the Agency of Customs and Monopolies (ADM), which oversees the gambling market. Operators seeking licences or franchises would have to demonstrate compliance with tougher standards on player protection, gambling-harm prevention and controls to prevent underage access.
New national rules on minimum distances from so-called “sensitive locations” are also expected to be introduced, replacing a patchwork of regional regulations. Certified venues would be required to maintain a 100-metre buffer, while non-certified outlets would face a 200-metre limit. Sensitive locations would include secondary schools, addiction treatment centres and hospitals.
The draft decree is also expected to tighten opening-hour restrictions, requiring daily closure periods of six and a half hours for certified venues and eight hours for non-certified premises.
Alongside the regulatory overhaul, the government is preparing new concession tenders for gaming machines, betting, and bingo operations. These are due to be published by the end of the year and are forecast to raise close to €2 billion (US$2.3 billion) in additional tax revenue.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/01/29/117358-italy-expected-to-overhaul-landbased-gambling-with-unified-national-regulations
